Core Of My Addiction
by IrishPrincess1987
Summary: Aria finally achieved the one thing she's ever dreamed of. Becoming a WWE Diva on the main roster. After a successful debut, she finds herself drawn to Randy Orton; but a prior connection to Roman Reigns makes her heart torn in two different directions. It isn't until she is placed in an onscreen romance with their bitter enemy does she find out exactly who her heart belongs to.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note: I've seriously been on a writing frenzy as of late. So hopefully you all enjoy this new story. Don't hesitate to let me know what you think of it. **

Chapter 1: Static Electricity

Walking backstage on her first night on the main roster, Aria Connors had every symptom of being nervous. She really didn't know anyone, except for brief conversations with the talents that came down to the NXT level of the company. That in itself wasn't very often. The arena was larger than what she was used to and it begged the question, would she be okay in that environment? On top of that so many more questions started to invade her constantly swirling mind. How would she fit in with the other divas? Would she mess up in front of thousands of people?

The butterflies in her stomach were fluttering, making her tremble. The walk down the hall seemed endless; but she finally arrived at the door that read 'Woman's Locker-room'. Pushing the door open, it was completely empty to her eyes. That gave her a moment to relax before she was surrounded by women that would eventually hate her. That's just how women are. It's always about who has better position within the company than it had to do with talent. She knew that better than anyone.

Aria sat her bag down on the floor and sat down on the edge of the bench, leaning forward to unzip her bag. Pulling out the specially made outfit that was gift from the only friend she had down in NXT, Becky Lynch. The material was soft to the touch and lime green in color. A smile formed on her full lush lips. Removing her strapped sandals, she slid her jeans away from her body. Slipping the vinyl pants up, she mentally approved of the look it gave her. Lime green with a white stripe down each leg. The top was a crop tank top that hugged her ribs underneath her breasts.

Laughter cut off the quiet moment when the door opened to reveal two of the main roster divas. Paige and Natalya glanced in the direction of the newcomer. She had long wavy dark brown hair with bright red highlights. Her eyes were the brightest shade of blue they had ever seen, it was uniquely beautiful to see first hand.

"You must be Aria." Natalya stated taking a step closer to the new girl.

"Yeah, it's nice to finally meet you." She replied standing up to shake the veteran's hand.

"I've heard good things about you; but it's no cake walk here. You will definitely be tested."

Taking back her hand, she knew exactly what Natalya was talking about. It was the same questions she had been asking in her own mind. Paige smiled, she reached out to hug her. It had been quite a while since she last saw her. When she debuted on the main roster, Aria was out with a minor injury to her ankle. "So you finally made it up here, how are you feeling?" She asked letting Aria go from the friendly embrace.

"I'm super nervous."

"Rightfully so, you will debuting against me." Another female voice stated coming into the room and the conversation.

Aria shifted her gaze from Paige to the woman who had just walked into the room. It was none other than Brie Bella, sister of the current Divas Champion Nikki Bella. Almost instantly the feeling in the room dampened. Paige's smile quickly faded as she watched Brie walk further into the room, stepping in between the two friends. Her dark eyes glanced at Aria up and down, taking in her look. She noticed her well toned arms and stomach; but her face was rival to her own. Instantly, she felt threatened by her; but unlike Nikki, she would give the girl a chance.

"I look forward to debuting against you, Brie. I've loved watching you grow as a dominant diva in the company." Aria complimented.

"Thank you..."

The woman surprised her by the way she talked. There was a hint of an accent; but she couldn't tell what kind it was. The butterflies in Aria's stomach was slowly going away, which made her happy. It meant that she was finally comfortable in her surroundings. She sat back down on the bench to lace up her wrestling boots. The three other divas went about their business, trying to ready themselves for the show.

Looking down at her phone, she saw that her mother had texted her over an hour prior. Her parents never approved of her ditching the idea of collage to go to try and become a wrestler. She always felt like they were disappointed with what she had become; but when she finally made to the WWE, they started to open up.

Sliding her finger against the screen, she tapped one to open the message. _**"Good luck tonight, I'll be watching."**_ There was no greater feeling that knowing your parents supported you in what it was you did with your life. Tying the laces into knots, she stood back up fully ready for her debut match. It was time to find a place to stretch out.

Walking out of the locker-room, she wandered the halls trying to find the perfect secluded place to warm up; but there was people everywhere. Camera crews, stage crews, creative department, and so many others were rushing around to get the show ready for the live TV. Aria turned the corner to see Stephanie McMahon talking to some of the creative team members.

"Oh Aria, could I have a moment." Stephanie asked catching sight of her newest member to the roster.

"What's up?"

"How are things going today?"

Aria smiled, she knew that her boss was just curious about how she was feeling. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she opened her mouth to speak; but before she could Randy Orton called out to Stephanie. He seem agitated about something. Maybe it was because he wasn't getting what he wanted, she really didn't know. All she knew was that he was clearly angry.

"Why am I being off another show? This is getting ridiculous." He stated in a loud voice, not yelling but loud enough to get his point across.

"We just don't have anything for you right now, I'm sorry."

Aria could relate to creative teams not having anything for them. Almost a year ago, the same thing happen to her down in NXT. Randy had been written off TV to film a movie; but he was finished and ready to come back. He was chomping at the bit, anxious to get back out there and perform in from the crowds.

Randy let out an annoyed sigh before turning to look at the newest diva on the roster. He recognized her from NXT. She was the one who made a name for herself with the aerial tactics. It wasn't just the aerial moves, her power was no joke either. Aria looked him dead in the eye, there was a softness behind his baby blue eyes that really didn't fit his onscreen personality. She wondered how much of his character was really him.

"She's a new one." He commented.

"Yeah, meet Aria Connors. Newest Diva to the main roster." Stephanie introduced.

Aria held out her hand for him to shake. He looked at her with a questioning gaze and simply walked passed her. She turned around to see him continue on down the hall. That was the first time someone brushed her off when she was trying to be nice. Honestly, she felt like there was more to his behavior than just ignoring a simple handshake.

"I'm sorry about that. He hasn't been very happy with us as of late. There just hasn't been anything for him."

"That's a shame. The people really like him." Aria replied folding her arms across her chest.

"Go on and get ready for your match, I'll talk with you later."

Nodding her head, she stepped aside to let Stephanie walk away. Aria continued onward in finding a place to warm up her muscles. Taking a left down another hallway, she finally found a dead end that would be perfect for her. Resting her leg up on a large box, she leaned forward stretching all the muscles in her thigh. Her legs were the biggest part of her arsenal and needed to be properly warmed up.

Switching legs, she felt the tension release from the muscles. Shaking the kinks from the rest of her body, Aria turned to see a familiar face standing at the end of the hall. Roman Reigns. He pushed himself from the wall he had been leaning against and stood before her with a smile on his face. She couldn't help but return the smile. They had gotten to know each other a little bit while he was training down at the performance center preparing for his return from a hernia injury.

"Hey you." He said taking a step closer to her.

"It's been a while since I've see ya."

"You know how it is. I've been fighting my way to the top."

She laughed at his comment; but that's how it was when coming back from an injury. The fight to get back to where you once were was very real. It was frustrating and disappointing at times. She would know. She had been there once before. "I thought I'd come say hi and wish you luck out there." He said placing a large hand on the top of her head.

"I appreciate that; but I got to get out there soon."

"Talk later then?"

"Sure."

Aria stepped passed him continuing on towards the stage. The butterflies returned to her stomach causing her to feel slightly nauseous; but she suppressed it down by thinking about her how proud her parents were of her in that moment. Turning around once, she saw Paige give her a thumbs up. It was show time. Hearing Brie's entrance music still playing, she waited for the hard rock sound of 'Core of My Addiction' by Fireflight.

She walked through the curtain, stopping at the center of the stage. She was soaking in the feeling of so many people cheering at her entrance. The vision was simply breathtaking. Walking down the ramp, Brie made eye contact with her opponent for the night. Aria stepped through the ropes and stood before Brie. "The following divas contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first, from Scottsdale Arizona...Brie Bella." Lillian introduced allowing Brie a moment to pose for the crowd.

"From Aughrim, County Wicklow Ireland...Aria Connors."

Brie then knew exactly what accent the woman had when she spoke. It made her that much more beautiful in her eyes. The referee signaled for the bell and the match begun whether Aria was ready for it or not. Leaning slightly forward, she locked up with Brie in the center of the ring. Wrapping her arm around her neck, Brie pushed her away only to get knocked down by Aria's shoulder.

Getting back up, Brie countered with a forearm to the face. Stumbling back a step, Aria shifted and struck back with a kick to the gut. Running into the ropes for a springboard effect, she turned her body in mid-air to land on Brie's chest with her legs. Struggling to get back to her feet, Brie clearly had not been prepared for Aria's aerial moves.

A river of dark hair scattered across the mat as Aria went for the cover. At the last moment, Brie lifted her shoulder off the canvas. The commentary crew at ringside were completely stunned by Brie Bella's ability to kick out of such an explosive move. Aria nodded her head, respecting the resilience in the veteran.

Brie struggled to her feet as the crowd got more vocal at the appearance of Nikki Bella. The current Diva's Champion was on no one's favorite list. She had been doing quite a few questionable things as of late that helped maintain her champion status. Aria instantly pointed at the twin, warning her to stay out of the match.

Nikki raised her hands innocently; but leaned against the apron slamming her hand down. She shouted for Brie to get it together and focus on the newbie. Aria turn back around towards her opponent and walked right into a dropkick. Rolling onto her belly, she avoided the running knee. Instead, Aria swung her legs around Brie's neck pulling her down into a pinning combination. The referee was in perfect position to see that the shoulders were down. His hand came down three times, ending the match with a win in Aria Connors column.

The Bella Twins were in complete disbelief at the loss. Nikki rolled into the ring just as Aria slid out of it. She wasn't sticking around to get double teamed. Backing up the ramp, she looked into the ring at the angered veterans and all she could do was smile. The wait was worth it. The live crowd was absolutely amazing and they got behind her every step of the way.

Walking backstage, she reached for a bottle of water sitting in a tub of ice on a table. She heard clapping behind her. Jerking her body around, she saw Randy Orton leaning against the nearest wall clapping his hands together. Aria studied him a moment before thinking of what to say to him. His actions were slightly confusing considering the fact that he had blown off a simple handshake earlier on.

"Impressive." He stated.

"Thank you."

"I apologize for my earlier actions. It's just highly frustrating to be kept off TV, when it's something you want to do."

Aria took a sip from the cold bottle of water. Placing the cap back on, "Don't worry about it. I get it. I'd be pissed to." She replied with a smile. He stared at her, memorizing details of her face. The color of her eyes were strangely unique; but he couldn't seem to stop staring into them. Clearing his throat, he took a couple steps closer to her.

"Should we try this again? I'm Randy Orton..." He introduced holding his hand out.

"Aria Connors..." She replied accepting his handshake with a smile.

The feeling of his skin against hers sent a spark of electricity straight up both their spines. The only logical explanation was just static electricity, nothing more; but to Aria it just seemed like it was more than that. Taking her hand back, she cradled it against her side. "So what do you call that move that nearly knocked Brie out?" He asked.

"Dragon Whisper."

"Nice name for it. Again, I'm sorry for earlier. I got to talk to the creative department about getting myself back out there."

He turned to walk away from her. As he continued to walk, he found himself smiling at the thought of seeing her again. Watching her out in the ring was a special thing to see first hand. Hardly any of the females did aerial moves, not since Lita. He hoped that she'd go far in the division. There was so much potential there.

Aria was slightly taken aback by his appearance and words. She felt bad for him. All he wanted to do was do what he loved most. She felt like she was taking his spot on the show, the new comer. Cursing under her breath, she turned to walk back to the woman's locker-room. Pulling the door open, all the divas were inside changing or getting showers. "There she is!" Paige yelled from across the room with her arms outstretched.

"Awesome job out there tonight." She said again closing the distance between them.

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

"So now, you can come out with us to celebrate a successful debut."

She honestly didn't know if she had that in her. All Aria really wanted to do was get some sleep and call her mom; but the pleading look on Paige's face made her want to cave in. "I don't know. I think I just want a quiet evening in my hotel room."

"Alright then, we are going to be right down the road if you change your mind."

In that moment, Aria doubted that she'd change her mind. Unzipping her bag, she saw there was another text message from her mother. Her heart swelled at the thought of reading it; but the first thing that was on her mind was a hot shower.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: Wow! After the lack of positive results in my last story I was starting to doubt myself; but you all have blown me away with the positive results in this one. I'd like to thank XoXoShon12, 2010, Ctinaisfashion, kimberly316, Kalea N Reigns, LadiiChef94, lostboyalien, jbrooksx4 and Leasha Orton for becoming followers to this story. I'd also like to thank Seth rollins babe, Guest, Guest, XoXoShon12, and Leasha Orton for the awesome reviews. **

Chapter 2: Nine Year Grudge

Standing under a hot spray of water, Aria replayed the last two hours in her mind on a loop. She was pretty proud of herself. Not once did she blotch her match, or feel nervous; but that didn't mean she didn't feel it the second it was over. Even at that moment, the butterflies could still be felt in the pit of her stomach. It didn't take her mind long to go back to the intense stare of Randy Orton. He had an intriguing presence that wanted to lure her in.

"Are you okay in there? You've been in there for forty-five minutes." Paige asked coming into the bathroom.

Hearing the call from the other diva, Aria snapped out of her thoughts. Turning the handle to turn the water off, she reached outside the stall for a fluffy white towel. Wrapping it around her body, she faced an inquisitive glance on Paige's face. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought. Shower is all yours." Aria replied stepped passed her.

"Are you sure that your okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Paige hesitated for a moment; but continued on towards the shower. Aria stepped out into the main portion of the locker-room. Grabbing the first set of clothes within her bag, she dressed into a pair of dark colored skinny jeans with some frays on the thighs and a baby blue crocheted sweater with a white tank top underneath. Her wet hair was already starting to curl into its natural wavy state upon drying.

She dug back into her bag for her phone and instantly hit the call button under her mother's name. It rang four times before a soft older Irish accented female voice greeted warmly. A swell returned to Aria's chest when she got her hear her mother's voice. "There is my girl."

"What was dad's reaction?"

"Same as mine. We both cried a little. You were amazing."

"Thank you..."

Aria was starting to choke on her own words. The way her mother said 'amazing' made her eyes burn with tears. It was hard being away from them for so long and it would only get worse the longer she was with the company; but she knew everything up front and went anyway. She wouldn't deny that it hurt; but it was a part of the job. A job she loved so much. "Did Alayna watch to?" She asked hoping that her younger sister got to see to.

"She didn't I'm afraid. She was out with friends."

"I guess that doesn't surprise me. I think she's still mad at me for leaving."

Her mother could her the sadness across her daughter's voice. She could remember the argument their daughters had right before Aria left for the states. Alayna refused to believe that becoming a wrestler was a good thing; in fact, she hated the idea. Being the way that Aria was, she didn't let her sister's hatred keep her down. She left just as she was supposed to with or without her sister's blessing.

"She just doesn't understand. I believe it will fine, she will get over it."

"It's okay..."

Even though she said that she was fine, her mother had a sneaking suspicion that she was lying. Aria and Alayna grew up pretty close in age and had a lot of the same friends growing up. Their bond seemed to be unbreakable, until it came time for Aria to graduate. Everything changed for the Connors family, in more ways than one.

"Chin up, things will get better. Your father and I will try to talk to her again. Hate to cut this short but it's three in the morning here and I need to get some sleep."

"Alright, Mom; have a good night and I'll call again soon."

"You better. We love you."

"I love you guys to, goodnight."

Her finger pushed the end call button on her screen. Letting out a saddened sigh, she zipped up her boots over her jeans and stood up. It was upsetting to think that her sister still hated her for wanting to live out a dreams she's had since she was ten. Lifting the handle of her bag, she started to pull it behind her as she left the locker-room.

"Hey..." Roman greeted.

"Hey..."

He took one look at her and realized that she wasn't the same happy woman he had seen earlier that night. Something had changed from then and now. He wanted to know what happened to her. While he had been training to get back from injury, she was the most interesting person he had met in a long time. "Are you okay?" He asked taking a couple steps closer to her.

"Not really; but I'll get over it."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Aria looked up from the floor and raised an eyebrow, questioning his motives. He lifted his hands up innocently and placed one hand on her shoulder. "I'm just trying to catch up. Come out for a drink and we can talk about whatever it is that's got that beautiful face upside down." He stated with a smile.

Her body remained calm; but on the inside, she was screaming. Roman just knew exactly what to say to make her want to smile. She gave him a half-smile, lowering her head a moment before lifting it back up to look him in the eyes. "I guess I don't see the harm in one drink; but that's it, I do have something I need to do tonight." She replied.

"It's a deal..."

He gently placed a warm hand against the lower part of her back, walking with her to the parking garage. Her eyes made brief contact with Randy Orton's as he got inside his vehicle of the night. He seemed like he was on a mission for something so she didn't bother to wave. Roman didn't miss a beat as he witnessed the small exchange of looks. He wondered if Aria had taken a liking to him; but from what he heard Randy hadn't been all that nice to her.

Randy pulled out of the garage with a squeal of tires. Once again, his attempts to get the creative department to give him something failed. They still had nothing. It infuriated him to no end. It was frustrating that he couldn't do what he loved to do. He almost wanted to resent Aria for having something; but it wasn't her fault. She was new and had no idea what had been going on around him for months.

"Damnit..." He silently cursed slamming his hand against the steering wheel.

Turning onto the freeway, he drove away from the arena. It was time to drink and forget about the lack of respect the company had for him. He changed lanes several times before getting into the right one that would allow him access to the parking lot of the club he intended on drinking his problems away in. What he didn't expect was for almost every co-worker he had to be there as well.

Randy walked inside and could see a group of the divas circled around a table with a bunch of fruity mixed drinks. Rolling his eyes, he made a b-line straight for the bar. The bar tender instantly took a look a him and got her most flirtatious smile upon her face. It didn't surprise him in the least. Ordering a beer, she quickly handed him to beverage; but not before she intentionally brushed her fingers against his hand.

He found a small empty table at the far corner of the room and happily sat down in a chair, watching as the divas made fools of themselves on the dance floor. It wasn't until Aria walked in with Roman Reigns, did his interest perk. He had so many questions about what he was seeing. What was Roman to her? Were they just friends? And that was just two of the questions.

Aria's smile was simply breathtaking. Her hair fell into her face when she leaned against the bar for her drink. Her clothes clung to her, framing every lushious curve of her body. He hated thinking of the cliché 'sight for sore eyes' but that's exactly what she was. The blend of colors in the top she was wearing reminded him of her eyes.

"So are we going to talk? You were quiet the whole way here." Roman asked sitting down across from her at an empty table.

"It's my sister..."

"What about her? You mentioned before that she didn't approve of you becoming a wrestler."

Aria took a long drink from the straw in her black plastic cup. The blend of scotch, raspberries and raspberry liqueur tingled as the peach colored liquid slid down her throat. She really didn't want to talk about Alayna to anyone. It was her problem. Not anyone elses; but the thought of venting out the frustrations she had did appeal to her.

"She didn't. We were inseparable all our lives until I made the decision to start school for wrestling in Dublin. Our parents noticed right away that we no longer did things together. The day I left for the states we had biggest fight and we haven't spoken since then."

"How long ago was that?"

"Close to two years now."

Roman couldn't image how she felt. Having a sibling hate you that much over a career choice was unheard of. It was ludicrous. Absurd. He looked directly in her eyes. They just seemed like they were begging for comfort on some level. He honestly had no idea what to tell her that would make her feel better about the situation. "I think once she sees how successful you've become, she will finally make the effort to make amends." He finally spoke.

"It's doubtful. She didn't even watch me tonight and it was my debut, so I doubt she will even make the attempt. It's okay though. I still have my parents."

He heard what she was saying; but didn't believe a word she said. She wanted her sister's approval more than anything and the fact that she didn't hurt. It tore her to pieces on the inside; although, she did do a good job in hiding it. "How in the hell did you manage to get her to come out when we couldn't?" Paige asked approaching their table.

Roman chuckled quietly to himself. He had a feeling the other divas would eventually see that she was there. Paige leaned over and took hold of Aria's hand. Gently pulling, Aria stood up. "I'm going to steal her for a while. Don't wait up!"

"Sorry..." Aria replied laughing as she was being drug down to the dance floor with the only diva she really knew.

Aria could feel the music pound against her chest. The flashing lights made her want to close her eyes and loose herself in the feeling of people around her. Paige held onto her hands, lifting them up in the air as she moved in closer. Her sudden closeness was leaving Aria slightly uncomfortable; but stood her ground, not knowing what would happen next.

Paige swayed her hips, leaning back against Aria's body. She wondered if her friend was drunk. It was the only explanation for the persistent touching or was it really how people danced in clubs. She really didn't know. It was her first time ever being in one. "Relax, dance Aria." Paige said trying to get a response.

Letting go of all that was holding her back, she finally allowed her body to move with the music. It was intoxicating. The warmth of Paige's body was the only thing familiar about the whole scene; but she didn't let it get her down. Roman watched as Aria finally let herself have some fun. He smiled at the sight of her laughing. His smile quickly faded when he caught a glimpse of Randy moving through the throb of people.

Aria turned around swiftly only to be caught in a man's arms. It wasn't just any man. It was Randy Orton. Her heart stop beating for a moment as her breath was caught in her throat. Her gasp made him smile. His hands moved from her shoulders down to her hips. She closed her eyes hoping that it was just an hallucination, because his touch felt too good to be real. When she opened her eyes again, he was still standing there.

"Good to see you having some fun on your first day." He commented urging her to move along with him.

"I needed a drink after the phone call I had with my mom."

"Your mom makes you want to drink?"

"God no. It's just complicated..."

The shifting of her hips against him, ignited a desire he hadn't felt in a long time. What was it about the woman that just called out to him? Aria didn't understand why her body was behaving the way it was. She had just met him a few hours ago; but she couldn't deny her attraction to him. Looking up into his eyes, his intense stare was captivating her in ways that were completely unfamiliar to her. "I really should head back. There is something I need to take care of." She said pulling away from his touch.

"I'll see you around then." He replied.

His smile indicated that he was not in the least bit angry, which made her attraction that much more noticeable. She turned and started her walk towards the table Roman was still occupying. He turned his head from his beer to look up at her. "Are you ready?" He asked.

"Yeah...I need to get going."

"Okay..."

It didn't take him long to drive her back to the arena. Her rental was still parked, in the now empty, parking garage. She hesitated getting out of car. There was a nagging feeling that Roman was upset with her about something. Remembering their previous talks back at the Performance Center, she wondered if there was something more to his interest than friendship."Are you okay?" She asked.

"Just be careful when your dealing with Randy. He's not exactly known for being the nicest person."

"Roman...thank you for the drink."

"You're welcome..."

Aria exited the car and started her small walk towards her own. Placing her bag in the trunk, she got behind the wheel and in no time she was arriving at the hotel. There was only one thing she wanted to do before falling asleep and that was e-mail her sister. All she wanted was peace and for her sister to speak to her once again.

Unlocking her hotel room door, she dropped her bag on the floor and dug out her laptop. Her fingers hovered over the keys, mentally searching for the right words to say. She wanted to be able to tell her about all the things she'd seen and done. About all the people she'd met; but until peace was met, she couldn't do that.

"_**Alayna,**_

_** Talked to mom tonight. She said you didn't watch my debut. I'm sorry that you feel my career choice was a waste; but it wasn't. I'm happy and I need you to see that for yourself. I feel horrible about how things went down when I left for the states. You are my sister and our relationship shouldn't be this way. **_

_** Can we please try to talk? I miss you. There are so many things I want to tell you, so please let's work this problem out. I love you.**_

_**Aria"**_

Hitting the send button, she closed the lid to her laptop. She quickly wiped the stray tears away from her eyes. Standing back up, she retrieved a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top. It was time for her to fall asleep and hope that she'd get a response. Crawling into bed, her head snuggled into the pillow. It was the first time, all day, she actually felt the exhaustion coming from her body. Her eyes slowly started to close and within minutes, she was fast asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: Once again you've all blown me away with the positive results. I even have some of you already picking which guys you'd rather see Aria with. I'd like to thank Lilygirl95, alibob687, Gagan, UselessWithAPen, and DramaMama117 for becoming followers to this story. I'd also like to thank Lilygirl95, Kaelea N Reigns, Guest, Gagan, Leasha Orton and Guest for the wonderful reviews.**

Chapter 3: Comfort

Aria wasn't surprised to find her inbox empty upon checking her email the next morning. It wouldn't surprise her if Alayna hadn't even read it and just simply deleted it. She closed the top of her laptop and began to pack up her things. She had at least a three hour drive to the arena for the Smackdown tapping.

Hearing a soft beeping from the pocket of her jeans, she pulled her phone out and smiled at the name displayed on her screen. Becky Lynch. She was the only friend she had in the wrestling world. Being from Ireland as well was just a bonus. **"Watched your debut. You did awesome. The rest of us are jealous."**

"**Don't be. You all will get here to. Remember, we are the future of the divas division."**

"**Damn right we are. Good luck tonight."**

"**Thank you."**

Tucking her phone back into her pocket, she zipped up her bag and pulled it along behind her as she walked out of the room. The three hour drive left her with time to think back on a little over twelve hours prior. It was good to talk to Roman again. She remembered all their prior conversations while he was down in the performance center. He even let her train with him, teaching her a little patience. He was probably one of the nicest guys she had ever met.

She smiled to herself thinking back on it all. Randy Orton's touch still left burning sensations on her skin. His intense stares made her feel weak in his presence. Clearing her throat, she forced herself to focus on her job. With her win against Brie Bella on Raw, the creative group wanted to put her in a match against Nikki. The thought of being in the ring with the current champion left her stomach in a knot.

Pulling into the parking garage, she gave herself a moment to calm down. Being nervous a second day in a row would look bad. Reaching down into the center console, she opened her lip gloss and smeared it onto her dry lips. Thinking she looked okay, she finally got out of the vehicle. Grabbing her bag from the backseat, she started to walk towards the building.

"Hey..." Randy called.

Hearing his voice made her freeze in her tracks. She turned around to see him walking up to her with a bag over his shoulder. She cursed herself for staring at him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a light blue tribal t-shirt. The casual clothes looked good him and she couldn't deny it in any way. Tucking a piece of stray hair behind her ear, she waited for him to catch up.

"Hey..."

"I apologize if I made you uncomfortable last night."

"It's okay. I just didn't expect you to be there when I turned around."

He smiled, understanding her confused jumble of words. He had surprised her that much was certain. His fingers itched to touch her skin again. He had tested the waters with a few of the other divas; but none of them perked his interest. Not like Aria did. "Let me make it up to you..." He stated hoping that she'd agree. He really wanted to get to know her.

"That's not necessary. I was okay with you dancing with me. I just had something I needed to do."

Mentioning the way she left, it made her think about Alayna again. She had no one to talk to about things like that. It wasn't everyday that two guys showed interest in her. Whether is was for friendship or otherwise. Who was she going to go to when she needed advice? "How about dinner tonight after the show?" He asked.

"Are you asking me out on a date?" She questioned.

"No...no...just dinner between acquaintances."

She raised an eyebrow, questioning his intentions. He could tell that she didn't believe him and he had no idea how to prove it to her that it wasn't a date. His intentions were pure. He just wanted to have a friendly dinner with a beautiful woman he worked with. "If you promise that it is just a dinner between co-workers, then I will accept." She replied.

"I promise..."

"Then I will see you later..."

Randy watched her walk into the building. He had no idea why he was even there. The creative department made it clear that they just didn't have anything for him; but he was about to try again.

**Smackdown, Before Aria's Match (Not Filmed)**

Roman paced in his locker-room. He couldn't seem to get Aria out of his mind. Talking with her at the club, reminded him just what made him attracted to her in the first place. Watching her dance and laugh with Paige made him smile; but the slight surge of anger returned when he thought about how Randy danced up against her, touched her, and damn near kissed her.

"Dude, if you pace anymore you're going to walk a hole in the floor." Dean stated walking into the room.

Roman sat down on the bench; but it wasn't long before his leg started to bounce up and down in agitation. Dean could see the twitching movement out of the corner of his eye. He wondered what got his friend all annoyed. "Are you okay? You seem pissed." He asked hoping to get an answer.

"It's Randy Orton. He's such a snake."

"Ahhh, I see. This is about Aria isn't it?"

Dean had known about Roman's acquaintance with Aria before she even arrived on the main roster. His friend talked highly of her. Claiming her aerial techniques were breathtaking. He could see why his buddy was attracted to her. She really was a beautiful woman. If Randy taking in interest in her, was the push he needed to make a move then he was happy that he did.

"All he's going to do is break her heart..."

"Is that such a bad thing though?"

"Her heart shouldn't get broken in the first place."

And that was why Dean was single. He really didn't understand relationships. Turning on the TV, he wanted to see for himself what made Aria Connors so special. Roman turned his attention towards the television. He waited patiently for her entrance.

**The Match**

'You Can Look; But You Can't Touch' started up alerting the crowd to the presence of the Bella Twins. Nikki Bella smiled with her sister safely at her side. The commentary crew made note of Aria win against Brie Bella. Even showed a replay of what happened on Raw. Nikki continued to smile as she posed with her title; but her smile quickly faded when 'Core of My Addiction' cut off her music.

Aria stepped out onto the stage in the same ring gear she wore on Raw. Her long hair was straight down her back except for a curled ringlet on each side of her face. The camera got a close up on Brie's harsh glare. Sliding on her belly into the ring, she turned and outstretched her arms. The crowd cheered loudly for her pose.

Brie jumped out of the ring, "Let's go Nikki!" She shouted slamming her hand down on the mat. She was angry for suffering a loss to the rookie from NXT. Lilian Garcia took a step forward with a microphone in her hand.

"The following divas contest is scheduled for one fall. Introducing first...from Aughrim, County Wicklow Ireland...Aria Connors."

"And from Scottsdale, Arizona...She is the Divas Champion...Nikki Bella."

The referee signaled for the bell. Both divas locked up in the center of the ring, each trying to pick up the advantage. Nikki was hoping her strength would give her an advantage; but she had no idea that Aria was strong herself. It wasn't just her aerial moves she needed to worry about. It was her strength to.

Aria wrapped an arm around Nikki's neck; but was quickly pushed off into the ropes. Nikki placed a well calculated forearm into Aria's back. Using the ropes for acceleration, she gave a swift clothesline. Aria rolled onto her side, avoiding a cover from her opponent. Nipping back up to her feet, she stood face to face with the champion. A smile tugged at her lips. Nikki looked frustrated. She figured it would be easy to put away the newbie; but as it turned out, that was far from reality.

Aria kicked her enemy in the stomach and then lifted her knee into her face, knocking her back onto the mat. Delivering a standing moonsault, she went for a cover. The referee's hand came down to the mat only twice before Nikki jolted off the mat. Annoyed, Aria lifted the champion up by the hair. Leaping up, she wrapped her legs around her neck and pulling her down into a pinning position. She was trying to win the same way she did Raw.

The referee only counted twice before Nikki revered the pin, receiving the three count win. Scrambling out of the ring, she taunted Aria from the outside. Brie shaped her fingers into an L over her forehead. The disappointment washed over her. She had been so close to knocking off both Bellas in her first week on the main roster.

**After the Show**

Aria turned the corner only to see Randy leaning against the wall next to the woman's locker-room. The sweat rolled down her forehead, dripping down from her chin. Despite being temporarily worn out, he still brought her insides to a tingle at the mere sight of him. He clapped his hands just like he had after her match on Raw. "Why are you clapping?" She asked.

"You did good." He replied.

"I guess..."

Her two word answer started to make him think that there was something wrong. She looked upset, disappointed, and perhaps even angry. Surely a match that was already scripted out wouldn't get her that upset. "Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm fine. This is just a big adjustment. I'm used to smaller crowds, longer matches, and respect. I've had to start completely over again."

"I understand your concerns; but I'm positive that everything will work out for you. You will get the respect from the other divas soon enough. It's only a matter of time before everyone really sees how talented you are, including myself."

Aria was flattered by his words; but he really had no idea what she could do in the ring. She could hear an odd chime coming from his pocket. He quickly retrieved his phone and read the contents before shoving it back down into his pants pocket. She was curious as to what he read; but knew that it wasn't any of her business.

Randy finally got a message from one of the writers in the creative department. He wanted a meeting with him in an hour, which meant he was going to have to cancel dinner with her. He really didn't want to; but it was for his job. Aria could see the disappointment on his face when he looked at her.

"I'm sorry. I'm going to have to take a rain check on dinner tonight. I've got a meeting with one of the writers in creative."

"Don't worry about it. I hope it all works out for you. Can't wait to watch you wrestle again."

It was his turn to be flattered by her words. He reached out to touch the side of her face with the back of his hand. He didn't want his gesture to seem more than it really was. His touch was meant to be comforting.

Aria felt her words evaporate off her tongue. His touch made her freeze, unable to move, unable to do anything at all. "I appreciate that. I do intend on taking you to dinner." He replied giving her shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking away.

She opened the door to the locker-room and immediately went to her bag under the far corner bench. Accidentally bumping into her phone, the screen lit up showing her that she had two text messages, one e-mail and one missed phone call from her mother. She opened the message and dismissed them as not important; but the e-mail intrigued her. When the app opened, she could see the name Alayna Connors in the far corner. "So you did answer me..." She whispered.

"_**Aria,**_

_**It doesn't matter what you say. Things happened because you were selfish and thought only of yourself. I have no intention of watching you or understanding why your career was worth leaving your family for.**_

_**Mom and Dad can talk to me till their blue in the face, my mind in made up. I highly doubt that you have that many problems that you'd want to talk to me about anyway. Don't bother trying to talk to me, I don't want to hear anything else.**_

_**Alayna."**_

Closing her eyes, Aria felt her heart shatter. Her hope that after two years of not speaking, her sister would finally want to rekindle their relationship; but she thought entirely wrong. After taking a shower, she just wanted to leave. There wasn't anything let to do to keep her there. Aria shoved her bag into the backseat of her car. Holding back the burning tears was tough. She managed long enough to make it to the hotel she would be staying in for the night.

"Room for Aria Conners..." She told the receptionist at the front desk.

"Great, here is your key. Enjoy your stay and please feel free to call and ask if you need something."

"Thank you..."

She took the key out of his hand and proceeded towards the elevator. Feeling completely alone, the tears finally surfaced and rolled down her cheeks. The doors opened and without even looking she continued on, running directly in Roman Reigns. He held his arms out to keep her from falling onto the floor. "I'm sorry, Roman. I wasn't paying attention." She apologized.

"It's perfectly okay." He replied but he heard the sobs behind her voice.

Aria stepped around him, making it to the door that was intended for her. Roman followed her, not likely the idea of her crying. He wondered if Randy had done something to her, because he hadn't seen her all except for when he watched her match on TV. Her hand was shaking so bad that she fumbled with the key just to unlock the door.

"Are you okay?" He asked placing a hand on her shoulder.

His touch startled her; but it felt comforting and that was exactly what she needed in that moment. Turning around to face him, she had an idea of what to tell him; but of course, her words left her right when she wanted them most. Roman could see the black tears streaks on her face. In his eyes, she was still beautiful. "No...no I'm not..."

"We can talk if you want."

Accepting his offer, she allowed him inside her hotel room. Just leaving her bag by the door, she walked towards the couch chaise in the corner of the room. Roman sat down next to her, careful to put enough space between them. He didn't want to overcrowd her. "I emailed my sister last night. I wanted to make things good between us again..."

"Did she answer you?"

"Yeah...not in the way I had hoped. She was completely dismissive of me. Basically stated she wanted nothing to do with me. She has no intention of making this okay between us..."

Roman had no idea what to tell her that would make her feel better. All he could do was listen; so he wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. Aria leaned against his chest, listening to his heart beat through his chest. She cursed herself for falling apart in front of him; but his arms were so comforting. "I am sorry that you are going through this. In my eyes, there is no reason for your sister not to want to make amends. You are an amazing person." He observed.

"She said I was selfish..." She said pulling her legs up against her chest.

"You are far from that. I watched you down in NXT. In that short time, I can easily tell that you are not selfish."

Aria loved hearing him compliment her. He always said the right thing exactly when she needed to hear it. It was the same even when they first met. Lifting her head away from his chest, she looked up into his eyes. Searching their depths for something more. "You should probably get some sleep. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay." He said standing up from the couch.

Roman knew that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn't want to leave at all. She was starting to become his one weakness. A weakness that everyone could use against him if he wasn't careful. She reached out to take hold of his hand. A small smile curved her lips when their eyes connected again. "Thank you..."

"You don't need to thank me, Aria. I'm always around if you want to talk."

"Thank you..."

She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go. He smiled at her as he backed away. The moment he closed the door, she let out a sigh before getting up. Laying down on the best, her head snuggled into the pillow. Breathing in deep, she could smell his scent all over her clothes. It was comforting and it helped her close her eyes. Falling asleep after having her heart shattered to pieces by her own flesh and blood.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note: You readers are simply amazing. I'm blown away once again by the positive response to the latest chapter. I'd like to thank Guest, Kalea N Reigns, XoxoShon12, and Gagan for the reviews. I'd also like to thank SparkenRose, blue1bear, VioletPlaid, and military brat 13666 for becoming followers to this story.**

Chapter 4: Moving Forward

**One Week Later**

After thinking more on what Alayna had told her, Aria figured it was time to stop trying. If her sister was meant to forgive her, then eventually she would; but she'd be lying if she said that it didn't hurt. She just didn't want to dwell on something she couldn't change. She also grateful to Roman for being there when she needed the comfort the most; but it was time to focus on her career and her own livelihood.

Staring out the window of the plane that would take her to Philadelphia for the first pay-per-view of the year, The Royal Rumble, she thought about not having a match. She was fine with that. The atmosphere was enough for her. Seeing and feeling the electricity when it came to a major show like The Royal Rumble was a dream come true. There was no describing the feeling she expected to feel once she got there.

"You seem lost in thought." Paige commented placing a gentle hand on top of Aria's.

"This is my first major show..."

"I remember that feeling..."

Aria turned away from the window to face the former two time Diva's Champion. There was a softness behind her eyes that she hadn't seen before. Did she feel sorry for her because she didn't have a match? Or was it something else entirely? That was the question. "Don't feel bad. We don't always get matches on every pay-per-view. That's just how it works." She said again.

"I'm perfectly fine with it. I've just got a lot on my mind today."

"You mean how both Randy Orton and Roman Reigns seem to have an interest in you."

Aria was surprised by the sudden change in topic. She was even more surprised by how Paige seemed to see the interest before anyone else did. Thinking about both men caused her cheeks to flush and turn pink. Paige watched as the woman next to her blush in embarrassment and all she could do was softly laugh. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"There isn't much to talk about really. I met Roman while I was still in NXT. We talked quite a bit while he was preparing for his return. Randy just sprung up on me. At first, I thought he wanted nothing to do with me; but as it turned out, he's been trying to get to know me. Even asked me to dinner last week."

"How did that go?"

Aria turned her head back towards the window. She really didn't want to think about the night at all. It was the night her estranged sister shattered her heart for the last time; but it was also the night that Roman held her. Comforted her when she needed it most. "He had to cancel. Something about a meeting with the creative department."

Paige couldn't really understand what Aria was going through, because she had never gone through that before. She could see the confusion radiating in her eyes; but there was also feeling behind them as well. She assumed that Aria probably had some level of feeling for both men. In the long run, it would cause a lot of problems when it came time in figuring out exactly what she wanted. "I wish I had some advice for you; but I just don't. All I can say is that eventually you'll have to let one of them down."

Aria didn't answer. She couldn't even face her after spilling her guts. Paige knew that Aria was trying to deal with everything alone. She didn't know how to express to her that sometimes you just needed someone to listen. Letting out a sigh, she wrapped an arm around her and pulled her into a hug that was meant to be comforting. "Thank you..." Aria whispered.

"You're welcome. You can always come to me when you need to talk."

Shaking her head, she pulled away from Paige. Aria settled back down into her seat. Resuming her stare out the window until the plane landed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There were so many people in the airport that it was almost claustrophobic. Weaving through the large crowds of people, she finally made it to the luggage pick-up section. Leaning in to grab her bag, a fairly large man reached his big arm in front of her. His thumb caught her necklace, ripping it free from her neck.

The item fell to the floor with a thud. She frantically took her bag and started her search for the precious gift her mother had given her before she left for the states. The large man never apologized, he just continued on his way ignoring her whispered curses as he walked away. Just as she leaned down to pick up the necklace, a foot kicked is even further away. "Damnit..." She cursed loudly.

Aria moved in direction of where it was kicked; but she watched as another set of hands leaned down to pick it up. Looking up, she met Randy's eyes. He held her broken necklace in between his fingers. His smile made her feel at ease. "Is this yours?" He asked.

"Yes...it is..." She replied softly as she took several steps closer to him.

Randy looked closely at the item in his hand. The pendent was clearly Irish. A silver wolf was entwined with a painted green Trinity Knot. The metal was smooth under the touch. He reached out, handing it back to her. Aria took the necklace into her own hand, lingering the touch against his hand a little longer than necessary. "Thank you..."

"You're welcome. You seemed pretty frantic to get it back."

"I was. My mother gave it me when I left for the states."

The thought of loosing it completely left her feeling kind of empty. Looking back up into his eyes, she seemed to loose herself in them. The hundreds of people walking around them were completely invisible. Not mattering at all. The only thing Randy could think about was her. She lured him in like a moth to a flame. He just hoped that he wouldn't get burned in the process of impressing her.

The moment felt like an eternity; but in reality it was only a couple of seconds before her mouth opened to speak. "I should probably go. I have to book my hotel room before I head to the arena." She stated tucking the broken necklace into the front pocket of her jeans.

"There is a chance they will use me in the royal rumble tonight."

"Really? I hope they do. You deserve to be on TV again."

He nodded his head. She touched his arm gently before walking away. After several meetings with the Creative department, Randy still hadn't made any progress in getting them to use him. It was frustrating and he didn't even bother showing up for the shows the previous week. Seeing Aria again only heightened the want. He wanted to know her. Be close to her; but he had to contend with Roman Reigns.

Randy wasn't stupid. He saw how the Samoan pretty boy looked at her. He also knew that he couldn't push her or he'd scare her away. Just from talking to her only a handful of times, he knew that she was guarded. Sheltered even. He hoped to break the walls that she surrounded herself with. Thinking about it give him an idea of how he could possibly put a crack in a wall. Smiling, he continued onward.

**The Arena, Before Royal Rumble**

Aria walked in seeing all the chaos scattering across the hallways in preparing for the last minute details for the show. She could see Stephanie McMahon ordering new things to some of the crew. Stephanie held out a hand, waving for her to approach. "Oh good, you're here. Things changed for the pre-show. I hope you have your gear with you."

"Of course I do."

"Great! You will be in a diva tag match tonight. I wanted to have two matches on the show to celebrate The Royal Rumble's first appearance on the network."

She couldn't help but feel exited about being used. It was definitely a dream come true for her. It didn't matter who she was tagging with. It was about showing the people what she could do. "Thank you, I appreciate it. I'll get ready."

"Oh and I have something else to talk with you about; but it can wait until after the show."

"Okay, I will stop at your office later."

Aria felt the nervous butterflies in her stomach. She was so exited that her hands were shaking. Turning down the hall, she caught sight of Roman talking with Dean Ambrose. She figured they were talking about the show; but when he turned his head. He smiled upon seeing her. "Hey..." She greeted with a smile.

"I heard you got yourself a match tonight."

"Yeah, Stephanie just told me. I didn't expect to be on the show."

"The joys of ever changing creative inputs." Dean stated taking a drink from a bottle of Gatorade.

Dean watched her shrug her shoulders in a carefree manor. He had to admit that she was the perfect image of what a true diva should be. She had strength, beauty and talent. Her accent gave her props in the sexy department. At least in his eyes it did. "I'm happy with the change. I need to get ready. Talk later?"

"Sure."

Aria smiled before walking into woman's locker-room. Roman ran a hand through his long black hair. He honestly had no idea what it was about her that made his heart race at the mere sight of her. Competing against Randy for her attention was starting to annoy him on so many levels. He wasn't blind either. Aria encouraged conversations with him and he just didn't have it in him to tell her that it probably was a mistake. Roman wanted to avoid the hostile side of her.

**Royal Rumble Pre-Show**

Thousands of fans stood on their feet in excitement as the pre-show started. The Royal Rumble started the road to Wrestlemania, the grandest stage of them off. It was every superstar and diva's goal to one day be a part of it. It was no different for the four divas in the ring. Aria included. She was teaming with Naomi, wife of Jimmy Uso. Across the ring stood Alicia Fox and Cameron.

The heels taunted Aria about being new. Stating that she didn't belong in the ring with them. The words stung, despite knowing they were scripted; but it didn't curb the doubt that it really was how they felt about her. The referee called for the bell. Naomi started the match against Alicia Fox. The two taller women locked up in the center of the ring, before Alicia flipped Naomi over onto her backside and kicked her straight in the back.

Cameron encourage her partner on the turnbuckle, outstretching her hand for a tag. Alicia slapped her hand. The blonde stepped into the ring, grabbing Naomi by the hair. She pushed her hands away and gave her a forearm shot to the face, making her stumble back. Aria held out her hand for a tag; but it was ignored.

Naomi clotheslined Cameron and gave her a leg drop across the chest. The referee counted to two before the shoulder was lifted up from the canvas. Leaning in to grab the blonde, Cameron suckered Naomi in for a jaw breaker. Both divas crawled back to their respective corners, each gaining the tag. Aria stepped in, standing up against a slightly taller Alicia Fox. "You can't beat me!" Alicia yelled.

Aria took the opening to kick her opponent in the gut, then ran towards the ropes for the extra speed. Twisted her body in mid-air until her knees came crashing down upon her chest. The maneuver she called 'The Dragon Whisper'. Quickly going into the cover, the referee counted the three. In a quick fashion, Aria had silenced a veteran in Alicia Fox. Naomi clapped her hands in praise and reached for her wrist. Lifting her arm up, a smile appeared on her face. The crowd's warm reception to her made her heart swell. There was no greater feeling than being accepted.

**Backstage**

Aria watched the Royal Rumble match in the locker-room. The match was intense and she could see all the superstars pour their hearts into the chance of winning the right to headline Wrestlemania 31. She was disappointed when she realized that Randy wasn't going to be used. All thirty stars had been entered and he wasn't one of them. She couldn't image how he was feeling in that moment.

Listening to the crowd boo Roman was heartbreaking. They were turning against him because of Daniel Bryan. It was clearly unfair and selfish. It wasn't that long ago that they cheered him loudly in every arena they went to. Watching The Rock come down to the ring and get rid of the two sore losers known as The Big Show and Kane, it left an open wound within herself.

The crowd was turning on both of them. It was the worst she had ever seen them do before. How Roman could focus was anyone's guess? It pained her even listening to it come across the TV. Roman gave a spear to Rusev and tossed him over the top rope to win the Royal Rumble match, much to the hatred of the crowd. She closed her eyes mentally thinking about what she could say to him in the hopes of making him feel better.

She quickly got changed into a pair of light colored skinny jeans and black scoop neck long sleeved top with several slits across the back. Zipping up her black ankle boots, she pulled her long hair up into a high ponytail. It left her back almost completely exposed. The large Celtic Cross tattoo on back was shown through the slits in her shirt. The blends of black and green just added to the outfit. Looking at herself in the mirror just once, she remembered about Stephanie wanting to see her.

Aria silently cursed to herself as she stepped out of the locker-room, making a b-line towards Stephanie's office. She gently knocked on the door and within seconds, her boss opened the door allowing her inside. "Great job out there tonight." She commented.

"Thank you."

"I've talked with the creative and we've decided what what your next role should be."

"Meaning?"

"We are going to place you with Seth Rollins starting tomorrow night on Raw."

Her heart sunk. That was not what she wanted to hear. She knew Seth in his brief period in NXT. He was a jackass then and he hasn't changed much presently. She wanted nothing to do with him; but she was in no position to argue with the decision. Her eyes burned with disappointment. She really thought that she'd be able to continue to wrestle, not become some manager or onscreen girlfriend.

"So I won't be wrestling anymore?"

"Not as much. You will be part of the authority."

Another thing she wanted nothing to do with. Her entire perspective on the creative just shifted. If it wasn't bad enough not to use a talented Randy Orton; but now they just screwed her over putting her in with a man she couldn't stand. "Okay...I'll see you tomorrow." She stated turning to walk away. She couldn't even look Stephanie in the eye, the disappointment was too much.

Aria mindlessly walked towards Roman's locker-room. She hesitated in knocking only once; but her closed fist knocked against the metal frame. Roman whipped the door open, ready to yell at the person interrupting him; but when he saw that it was Aria, his expression softened. "What are you doing here?" He asked with a slight harshness etched into his voice.

She could tell that he was angry with the outcome of the night. He probably had hoped the people would have loved the fact that he won the match. They cheered him long enough in the last year's rumble match when it was down to just him and Batista. "I...I just came to see how you were...considering..."

"Look, can we talk another time? I'm not really in the mood right now."

"Right...I'm sorry..."

He quickly closed the door in her face. "I just wanted to talk to you..." She whispered to herself. His actions stung. He had always been there for her when she needed him; but why couldn't he let her be there for him? She didn't understand it. She felt overwhelmed. The tears trickled down her cheeks as she walked down the hall with her bag trailing behind.

All she wanted to do was leave. Her heels clicked against the concrete floor as she closed in on the exit. The walk towards her rental felt like forever; but when she finally got there, the cries she had been holding emerged. "Aria?" Randy's voice called.

That was the last person she wanted to see in her current state of mind. She gingerly turned her head to face him. A look of concern was present on his face as he closed the distance between them. He wanted to know what had her so sad. He wanted to know, because he wanted to fix whatever it was that hurt. "Aria, what's wrong?" He asked.

"Trust me, you don't want to hear about my problems."

He reached for her hand, "Maybe I do..." He stated rubbing the pad of his thumb across the back of her hand. His touch was consoling her, giving her exactly what she needed in that moment. It was the first time she had seen that side of him. She liked it.

"Creative placed me with Seth Rollins, starting tomorrow night."

"What? That's crazy. Why?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I don't want to do it. I can't stand him, never could. Now he gets to touch me..."

Randy could understand her revulsion. Personally, he didn't like the man either. The company saw Seth as the future and has been slowly giving him the spotlight; but he felt like her career predicament wasn't the only thing on her mind. He assumed that Roman said something to upset her. It was his chance to be there when she needed someone.

"Do you want me to say something?" He asked.

"No...it's part of the job. I'm not always going to like something I'm told to do." 

"Aria..."

He turned her hand over, palm upright. She watched him closely, wondering what he was doing with her hand; but that's when she saw the silver chain being placed in her own hand. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized what he had done for her. "You...you didn't have to do that. I would have gotten it fixed eventually."

"I wanted to, Aria."

"Thank you..."

She leaned up and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him. He had no idea how much that meant to her. Her necklace was the only thing she had from Ireland. Randy held one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him. It was a moment she wouldn't forget. "I'm here for you, whenever you need me."

"Thank you."

"Do you want my number just in case you need me in the middle of the night?"

"Randy..."

A smile crept up to his lips. He was trying to lighten the mood and when he saw her smile, he knew that he had been successful. She reached for his phone and entered her number into his contacts before opening the drivers door of her vehicle. "Have a good night..." He stated removing his hand from her arm, allowing her to get inside the car.

"Goodnight, Randy..." She replied with a smile.

He stood firm in his place, watching her drive away. The connection between them was growing, he could feel it. He also had to thank Roman for messing up. He was pushing her straight into his arms. Even after she no longer there, he still missed her presence; but he had a bigger problem and that was Seth Rollins.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note: Wow! I'm blown away again with all the positive results. I love all of you readers. I'd like to thank Lilygirl95, Guest, Seth rollins babe, Gagan, and Leasha Orton for the awesome reviews. I'd also like to thank LoverGirl007 and Dizzy2k9 for becoming followers to this story. I hope all of you will enjoy this new chapter. **

Chapter 5: Snowed In

Aria shot up from her slumber covered in unwanted sweat. Her mind was playing games in her dreams. She wanted nothing to do with her next project with the WWE. Seth Rollins and her never did see eye to eye when they met in NXT years ago. He always seemed so full of himself, not caring about what other people around him did. He never congratulated anyone else but himself, except for the divas. He favored them, praised them, even dated a few of them; but it wasn't for the right reasons. There was always a hidden agenda with him and Aria saw through him right from the very beginning.

"Damnit to hell..." She cursed rolling out of bed.

She reached for her phone off the night stand next to her. A lone message from a number she didn't recognize was displayed on the screen. Opening the message, she smiled. It gave her the pick up she needed to move forward with her day. _**"Good morning, gorgeous! Can I interest you in breakfast?"**_ Judging from the way the message was written, she knew that it was Randy. She had given him her number no more than eight or nine hours prior.

Before she could answer the message a soft knock came across her hotel room door. Tilting her head to the side in confusion, she slowly made her way to the door. Turning her hand slightly, the heavy door cracked open to reveal Stephanie McMahon. Her face was full of concern. It was unlike her to be concerned about anything. "Morning Steph, what's up?" Aria asked opening the door the rest of the way.

"Due to the weather, Raw is going to be canceled. It will be conducted at WWE Headquarters in Hartford tonight. It's not required you be there; but there will be a live Smackdown on Thursday night and you will be required to be there."

"Of course, don't worry all of us will be fine. The weather will lighten up soon."

She gave her warm smile before closing the door. Reaching back for her phone and began to answer Randy's message. _**"Breakfast where? We are basically snowed in."**_ She replied and hit the send button.

While she waited for a reply, she unzipped her bag looking for an outfit to wear. Pulling her tank top over her head, she clasped a black satin bra over her breasts and put on a dark green long sleeved high-low sweater. Aria slipped on a pair black vinyl leggings and accented them with the same ankle boots she had worn the night before.

Aria walked into the bathroom to brush her hair. She looked into the mirror loving how her hair naturally crimped into open waves. It was perfect except for the color. She thought maybe it was time to let the dark go and bring back her red. It was something to bring up with creative the next chance she got. Eva Marie was hardly ever on TV besides Total Divas, she didn't see the harm in having another red haired diva.

"_**Hmmm, you're right. Why don't you come down to the lobby and we can figure it out?" **_

"_**I'll be down in a few."**_

She was feeling quite excited about seeing him. There was just one thing she needed to do before going down to the lobby and that was use the new chain Randy had gotten her to fix her broken necklace. Removing the pendent from the broken chain, she slipped it onto the new one and then clasped it around her neck. A smile emerged across her lips. It gave her a sense of security.

Roman stared out the window of the vehicle Dean was driving across the freeway. All he could think about the way he had slamed the door in Aria's face. He could only image the look of dejection on her face once the door came to a close. He could tell that she wanted to talk to him; but he never gave her chance to speak. He had been too upset with the way the night progressed. "Are you alright, man?" Dean asked trying to break the silence.

"I don't know."

"Are you thinking about last night?"

"Yeah..."

"Don't worry about the people. They will come around. They will see just how good you really are."

Roman wasn't so sure of that. Daniel Bryan had them all wrapped around his finger and he couldn't figure out why. He hadn't told Dean about slamming the door in Aria's face. He figured that it was a personal issue that needed to be addressed on his own; but he couldn't keep to himself anymore. He needed some kind of advice. Any kind. "It's not so much them. I was pretty upset about how things turned out that I slammed a door in Aria's face last night."

"Christ...no offense; but you are a dumbass."

"Noted..."

Dean ran a hand over his head, trying to think of something to say to his best friend. He really didn't know much about relationships and he was horrible with advice; but he knew that he needed to say something to him. "You need to apologize, make her understand what your state of mind was at that moment. I'd do it soon, because you know Randy will take advantage."

"If I didn't have to be at headquarters tonight, I'd go see her right now."

"It'll probably have to wait until Thursday."

Roman didn't know if he could wait until Thursday to apologize to her. It was eating away him. He wondered if Randy was taking full advantage of him not being around. Was he making moves on her? He wished that he had her number, so he could at least call her.

Aria made her way down to the lobby. Randy was leaning against the wall next to the staircase leading down towards the exit doors. He took one look at her and it took his breath away. She was by no means dressed-up but the simple outfit made her look absolutely breathtaking. The way her hair waved around her face added the perfect touch to her already perfect features.

"Hey you..." He greeted with a smile.

"Hey..."

"You look beautiful."

His compliment made her blush. Her tanned cheeks tinted with a shade of pink. There was something about him that was different than the first day they met. It was the way he looked at her. He currently had a look of admiration upon his face. She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing; but he noticed almost immediately.

"You don't need to blush when I compliment you. What I say is the truth."

"Thank you. So what are going to do about the snow?"

"Let's go get a cup of hot chocolate."

"Okay..."

He placed a gentle hand on the curve of her back. They walked down the stairs side by side. Aria noticed his closeness and it made the heat in her cheeks return. It had been a long time since anyone showed her any kind of attention. She didn't know if she was acting appropriately. Randy held the door open for her and returned to her side the second she stepped over the threshold.

Aria couldn't believe how gentlemanly he was being. It was almost too much for her. Like it was too good to be real, because that's just how it always ended up for her in the long run. She could remember what her last relationship was like. Perfect in the beginning and then ended horribly. She had been blind when all the warning signs had been right in front of her. Was this what Randy was doing? Did he even really give a damn about her?

Questioning Randy's motives, made her think about Roman again. She never told Randy about what happened and she wanted to keep it that way. Aria could already tell there was hostility between them as it was. The cold winter air caressed her face, sending chills throughout her entire body. She missed Ireland's weather. It barely reached lower than thirty degrees at night in winter. As they walked passed a bank, the temperature read twenty degrees.

They turned the corner to see a Starbucks. Randy opened the door for her to walk inside. The warmth embraced her and she took the opportunity to remove her coat from her shoulders. He ordered two medium sized cups of hot chocolate. She added marshmallows to it. He smiled, learning a little bit about her in that second.

"Here you go, enjoy!" The server said handing them their cups.

"Thank you." Aria replied taking hold of her warm cup.

She looked down to see a dozen mini marshmallows swirling around in her hot beverage. Randy followed her to a small table in the corner, away from all the others. He liked her taste in seating. He wondered if she did that for him or if she simply liked to be out of the way in large crowds. "So why did you pick this seat?" He asked.

"I like to be away from larger crowds who could possibly recognize me."

He had his answer and it was a just one. He could relate to not wanting to be recognized. Sometimes he just wanted some peace and quiet. Sitting across from her, he had the perfect view of her face. Her eyes were the purest blue he had ever seen in a woman. It went with her long dark lashes and her full lips that just begged to be kissed, savored.

"So why do you hate Seth?" He asked trying to make conversation.

"It goes back to the days in NXT. He really hasn't changed much since then. He's still the full of himself dick he's always been. The only people he ever praised were the divas and that was because he wanted in their pants."

Randy blinked several times, slightly taken aback by her brash outburst of hatred. There was more to her dislike of his personality than she was telling. There was something personal going on there. "Did he try that with you?" He asked curiously.

"A couple dozen. I saw through him. Unfortunately, I was the only one who did. He never let it go once I said no the first time. He persisted continuously until he was moved up onto the main roster. That's when I got the peace I needed."

Now he understood why she didn't want to do the onscreen manager/romance thing with him. Seth had already gone that personal road with her, being rejected every time. He would take great pleasure in making her feel uncomfortable. That much he was certain of. Her eyes screamed fear. He could tell that it scared her.

Aria looked up from her cup and looked directly into his eyes. He was silently trying to comfort her with them. She honestly had no idea what else to tell him. Seth literally scared the hell out of her. His persistence back then could easily care over to the present. Randy reached over the table and took hold of her hand. "I'm here for you. I'll be making sure he goes by script. If he does anything out of line, you tell me."

"I appreciate that, I do; but I don't need you risking your job over me. I can handle it. If he does anything out of line, I'll just tell Stephanie about it."

Randy didn't believe that Stephanie would do anything; but he wasn't going to push. He wanted it to be her decision. Finishing their cups of hot chocolate, they walked out of the shop and continued on. Aria had no idea where he was going; but followed him anyway. It wasn't until they reached a community park did he stop walking.

She looked around at all the snow covered benches and pathways. The view was amazing. White snow as far as the eye could see. A ball of cold and wet hit her right in the shoulder. Turning to see Randy laughing, she realized that he had thrown the snowball. Bending down, she gathered snow into her gloved hands and threw it as hard as she could at him.

When the ball hit him in the chest, she knew that it was time to start running. Aria started to run further into the park, dodging the newly thrown snowball. She started to laugh at the excitement. She never knew that snowball throwing could be so much fun. Randy enjoyed chasing her. He loved watching the way she moved. The way her hair flowed through the air around her. Her laugh was perfect with the beautiful accent that caressed her voice.

Aria tripped against her own feet, landing butt first in the snow. Randy held his hand out to her. Accepting, he pulled her up to a standing position only inches away from him. Looking down at her, he knew that he wanted to kiss her. It was the perfect moment; but he settled for brushing the snow out of her hair.

"Well that was fun." She commented on their way back to the hotel.

"I thought so to. I'm guessing that was your first snowball fight."

"It was...yes..."

He was happy that it was great distraction from what was really on her mind. Thursday was going to be the worst night for her. No matter what she said, she would be dreading going to work. A place she loved to be at and that wasn't right. There had to be something he could do to help. He hated seeing her so upset.

Aria stopped at her door, unlocking the lock. She was well aware of Randy behind her. His closeness made her heart race. She turned to face him, wondering what she could do to thank him. A simple 'thank you' didn't seem enough. "I'm glad you had fun today." He commented.

"I needed some fun. It's been a rough transition for me. I want to thank you for being there for me last night and showing me what it means to have fun."

"You're welcome. "

She leaned up and kissed his cheek. He smiled, savoring the feeling of his lips against his cheek. Randy wrapped his arms around her, embracing her. He had a feeling that there was something else bothering her; but he decided not to ask. If she wanted him to know, then she'd tell him. "I'll see you tomorrow?" He said but it was like a question.

"I think I'm going to head out to Hartford tonight."

"Are you sure? The weather is still supposed to be shitty."

"Yeah...I'm be fine. I'll text you when I get there, deal?"

He nodded his head, then kissed her forehead before allowing her to walk into her room. Randy definitely didn't like the idea of her driving out in that weather alone; but there wasn't anything he could say that would change her mind. That much he knew about her already.

Aria threw her bags into the backseat of her rental. Noting the time being two in the afternoon, she had time to make it to Hartford before Raw ended. Giving that the roads and traffic were totally horrible. She couldn't let what happened between her and Roman continue on. She couldn't stand the thought of him being mad at her for something. She just hoped that he'd want to talk to her.

After six and a half hours of driving, she finally made it to Hartford. Raw had already begun; but that was okay in her eyes. She drove her car into the parking lot behind Headquarters. The snow was coming down so hard that she could barely see two feet in front of her. Pulling out her phone, she send Randy a message. _**"I'm at Headquarters. I'm perfectly safe. See you soon."**_

"_**Okay...thank you for letting me know."**_

Tucking her phone into the pocket of her coat, she exited her car. Pushing the back door open, she could see several camera crew guys talking amongst themselves. She turned the corner hoping to find someone she knew; but the second she turned another corner, her eyes met Seth's for the first time since he left NXT.

"Well well, if it isn't Aria Connors." He said with a sly smile.

"I don't have time to talk to you." She replied trying to walk passed him.

Seth took hold of her arm at the junction at her elbow. Aria jerked her arm away from his grasp. There was nothing but malice behind her stare. He knew that she despised him and he actually liked that. He would enjoy tormenting her while the scripts lasted. "You can't run forever, you know."

"I don't have to talk to you outside of scripted words. I don't like you, that much you should already know."

"You don't like me because you fight against me. Admit it...you want me."

"Now I know your delusional. You make me sick."

Her words stung; but he still thought her hatred was because deep down she wanted him. Just like all the other single divas did. Seth allowed her to walk away. In fact, she actually ran away from him. Aria was frantic at that point. Her heart was beating so fast that it threatened to bruise her skin. "Aria..." A familiar voice called.

"Dean?" She replied turning to see him standing by a closed office door.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were snowed in in Philadelphia."

"I decided that I couldn't stay cooped up. Have you seen Roman?"

Dean was thrilled with the knowledge that the woman wanted to see Roman. Maybe his friend wasn't entirely a dumbass. He could tell that there was clearly something on her mind; but what worried him the most was the look of fear in her eyes. Growing up the way he did, he was accustomed to seeing that look often enough.

He escorted her down the hall towards the room where Roman was occupying. Aria turned to thank him; but he was already walking away. Mentally forcing herself to calm down, she balled up her hand and knocked loudly on the door. Hearing soft rustling, she waiting until the door opened. Roman stood before her dressed in jeans and one of his t-shirts. His hair was pulled up into a tight bun behind his head. An image of pure perfection. It enticed her, heated her skin.

"Aria?" He said softly wondering why she was even there at all.

"I'm not giving you a chance to slam the door in my face tonight." She replied coldly.

"I deserved that..."

Stepping around him, she walking into the room. It was clearly an office of some kind; but it was littered with bags. Roman knew that there was something wrong. She wouldn't have driven from Philadelphia, risking her life if it wasn't important. He shifted away from the door and closed it behind him, giving them privacy to talk.

It was his opportunity to apologize for his actions after The Royal Rumble. Her eyes bore into him intensely. "Aria, I'm sorry for slamming the door in your face. I had just gotten booed out of the building. I just didn't want to talk to anyone."

"I came to talk to you, be there for you like you were for me when my sister shattered me."

"I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings or make you feel like I was mad at you."

She took several steps closer to him. Roman sucked in a breath of air, surprised by her sudden boldness. Her cold stare was starting to soften, turning to sadness or maybe fear. He couldn't tell which one. "I came that night to tell you something else. I came to tell you that creative had placed me with Seth Rollins starting tonight; but since the weather canceled Raw, it will be Thursday."

"Shit...I'm sorry. I feel like a total douche right now. I know how much you hate him. That is the last person they should have placed you with."

Roman knew all about their history. It was the many conversations they had while he was down training, because it was the one thing on his mind. He reached out to her, hoping that she wouldn't pull away. Aria accepted his comfort. His arms wrapped around her, encasing her in warmth. Denying the hurt she felt after the door closed in her face would be pointless; but knowing he wasn't mad at her for anything made it better.

"I am really sorry, Aria."

"I'm just glad you weren't mad at me for anything."

"Absolutely not."

She smiled against his chest before pulled away from him; but there was a sense of dread ripping at her heart. Her feelings for both Randy and Roman were growing. It was hard to distinguish between what kind of feelings they were. Paige's words came crashing down around her, hitting her hard. _**"Eventually you will have to let one of them go." **_She didn't want to think about that. She enjoyed their company and she honestly didn't know if she had it in her to let one go, not just yet anyway.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note: I'd like to thank Guest, Guest, and Leasha Orton for the reviews. I'd also like to thank Ortongirl1993 and sweetLeigh for becoming followers to this story. I've thought quite a few new ideas. This chapter is quite a romantic one. Also, I will say that Aria will not be making her choice anytime soon. I really enjoy reading your thoughts and I hope you all enjoy this new chapter.**

Chapter 6: The Charity Event

Thursday was closing in fast and Aria was starting to feel unsettled. Her new role within the WWE was clearly not what she wanted; but it was something she just had to deal with. After spending time with Randy Monday, she realized that he didn't like the idea of her being paired with Seth anymore than she did. Roman hated it as well; but the reality was they only knew part of the story. It was the part she was willing to tell. She really didn't want to talk about the other part; but she had no doubt that Seth would bring it up in attempts to make her uncomfortable.

Thinking back to Monday, her heart started to beat a little more rapidly than normal. She could still see the snowball fight with Randy behind her eyes. A smile tugged at her lips as she remembered how much fun she allowed herself to have. There was just so much he didn't know about her; but he seemed to genuinely want to know everything. The look in his eyes as he stared down at her after helping her up off her butt made her want to believe that he really did care for her.

Driving all those hours just to see Roman was definitely a last minute decision on her part; but she was glad that she did. She came to find out that he was not mad at her at all, simply hurt by the reaction he had received after winning The Royal Rumble Match. She couldn't blame him for that; because if she had been in the same position, she probably would have done the same thing.

Aria rolled onto her side, staring at the ugly cream colored wall of her hotel room. She knew that it was late in the afternoon and she didn't care. The only thing she had to do that do was attend a charity event later that night deep in the heart of Hartford. Groaning at the thought of dressing up, she rolled out of bed. Her fingers brushed across the screen of her phone, lighting it up to reveal several unread text messages.

The first one was from her mother with three simple words, _**"I love you." **_Aria smiled and quickly answered her back with the same response. The second one was from Paige asking about the time for the charity event. Sending a quick answer, she opened the next message without seeing who it was from. _**"I won't be at the charity event. I have some finish up work with the movie. I just left. I was really looking forward to seeing you all dressed up. I'm sorry."**_

Aria looked at the time the message was received and realized that it was a little over six hours old. She wouldn't deny that not seeing Randy there was a huge disappointment. Letting out a sigh, she opened the last message. Roman's name was on the top of her screen. A smile slowly crept to her lips; but quickly faded when she read the message. _**"Sorry, won't be at the event. Bosses sent me for some more acting classes, as if I needed more. I'm really sorry beautiful, I wanted to see you."**_

"Everyone is sorry..." She whispered to herself but she was completely disappointed.

She felt alone in that moment. Aria knew that she would have to brave Seth alone. Her only hope was that he'd mess up and Stephanie or Hunter would see it, so she wouldn't have to go through the ridiculous storyline they've created. Not bothering to answer either man back, she attempted to get a shower.

Roman sat in a small sized classroom with a dozen of other people wanting to learn to act. The difference between them and him was the fact that he was already someone famous; but the higher ups wanted him to be better on the microphone. He practiced daily; but it just wasn't enough for them. His eyes stared at the wall passed the instructor. His mind was not on the information. It was on Aria Connors.

He wanted to see her, talk to her...simply just be near her. The idea of her being dressed up in an evening dress made his blood heat up. Her beautiful blue eyes would accent any color, magnifying her curves. The main thing was his wanted to spend time with her. To show her that it was okay to trust him. He just hoped that Randy wasn't going to be there to sweep her off her feet so to speak.

Roman tried to pay attention but no matter what he did, his mind returned to images of Aria. Looking down at his phone, he saw the time at a quarter till seven. He knew the event would be starting in a little over an hour. Knowing that he already told her that he wasn't going to be there, he still had the hope in surprising her.

"I believe that's it for today. I will see you all on Friday." The Instructor said dismissing the class.

The entire room emptied in a matter of seconds. Roman stood up and walked out slowly. He was making arrangements to rent a tuxedo. The event might be the only change he had to show Aria that everything would be fine. He wasn't about to let the storyline with Seth ruin her.

**The Charity Event**

Aria walked up several steps towards a large building. She studied the outside, noticing the structures and vivid details. Her dress was fairly simple. A sage colored floor length chiffon strapless dress. A large slit came up to her mid-thigh, showing off a perfectly tanned leg. A large section of the back was made of a sheer see-through material of the same color. Her silver heeled shoes were a perfect accent to the already beautiful masterpiece.

Stepping up onto the last step, her long hair fell over her shoulder in a river of crimson and dark chocolate. She really didn't want to be there; but the fact was the event was for a good cause. Walking through the threshold, she saw hundreds of people scattered across the large room. A dozen tables were set up with different foods and drinks; but what really caught her eye was the open bar in the far corner.

"Oh wow, Aria you look amazing." Paige commented quickly approaching her with a smile.

"Thanks, so do you."

Paige smiled; but she knew that there was something bothering her friend. If she was a betting woman, she'd put her money on Roman Reigns and Randy Orton. Both men seemed to have caught her attention and she honestly didn't know what to tell her. There was no way that no one would get hurt in the current situation. Someone will indeed get hurt somewhere along the time, that was inevitable. "Are you okay, you seem upset.?" She asked.

"It's nothing."

"Aria, it's not nothing and we both know it. Let me guess neither man is coming?"

Aria didn't say anything, there was no need to. Paige already knew what was going on. Her eyes shifted across the room towards Stephanie McMahon. She was talking to her husband and Seth Rollins. The twisting in her stomach returned along with the fear. She didn't want to remember the past in anyway, shape or form.

Paige could see that her friend's mind was clearly not in the game and realized where Aria was looking. Seeing Seth, the realization dawned on her. Seth really shouldn't be able to be around the newest diva considering their past. Reaching out to place a comforting hand on her arm, Aria jerked out of her trance and returned her attention back towards her.

"I don't blame you for being upset. Honestly, I think you should tell someone about the past. I seriously doubt that they'd put you in a position to get hurt if they knew all the facts."

"I appreciate your concern; but I can handle it."

"Aria..."

"I'm not in a position to complain about something they want me to do. I love my job too much to risk it."

Aria walked away, taking steps closer towards her boss. The dreaded feeling of being alone was overwhelming; but she swallowed the lump in her throat and gathered as much courage as she possibly could before greeting them. Stephanie turned with a smile holding up her glass of champagne. "Aria, so glad you could make it. You look stunning by the way."

"Thank you. I was wondering if I could speak to Seth a moment."

"Of course! We will speak later, Seth."

Seth eyed Aria suspiciously as he watched his bosses walk away. He knew that she despised him with every fiber of her body. It left him confused as to why she would even want to talk to him. She looked at him with her uniquely blue eyes with a look of determination. He liked that about her. "So what do you want?" He asked in a cocky tone of voice.

"Look, you and I both know that I don't like you, and for good reasons; but can we please find a way to get through this. I love my job more than anything. It's basically the only thing I have left."

"Why would I make it easy on you?"

"Seth don't be a dick. I'm asking nicely."

He took a couple steps closer to her, close enough for her to feel his warm breath across the skin on her face. Aria instinctively took a step backward, preserving her space between them. Seth took hold of her arm firmly, instantly making her think back on the incident three years prior. He jerked her closer to him, loving the look of fear in her eyes. "Don't call me that. You've done a lot to embarrass me over the years, so I will not make anything easy for you." He stated harshly through clenched teeth.

"How did I embarrass you? Because I didn't sleep with you like all the other divas did? Because I saw through you?"

"I will see you tomorrow. I can't wait to kiss those lips again."

Seth let go of her arm and swiftly walked away from her. Aria felt her hands shake with the realization that he was going to make sure her time within the WWE was a living hell. She turned around just in time to see Roman Reigns walk into the building. Their eyes instantly caught sight of each other. He wore a traditional black tuxedo with no tie and a couple buttons undone around the collar. His hair was pulled back into a low ponytail.

Aria was frozen in her place, unable to move. His sheer presence warmed her; but he could see the glassy look in her eyes. She had been close to crying. Just the notion of her shedding a single tear, made him want to track Seth down and give him a proper beating.

"Wow. You look absolutely beautiful." Roman commented.

"Thanks, so do you..."

"I look beautiful?"

"No...yes...you know what I mean..."

Roman chuckled at her sudden flustered moment with words. Aria relaxed a little when she knew that he was only joking with her. She was thrilled to see him standing before her. Pushing everything that happened between her and Seth aside, she wrapped her arms around his torso. Without even thinking twice about it, he returned the gesture. The skin on her bare back was soft and smooth. It enticed his fingertips to trace lines across it.

"I'm sorry; but I seriously needed that after what just happened." Aria apologized pulling out of his embrace.

"Don't be sorry. I'll hug you anytime you want."

Her smile returned when she felt his hand take hold of hers. Aria returned the gentle squeeze with her own hand. Roman wanted to hold her, take away all the pain that was presently behind the eyes he loved so much. It was similar to the look in her eyes on the day they met; but it had been physical pain back then, not emotional pain.

"Come on, there is something I want to show you." He suggested tugging at her hand.

"Okay..."

Aria allowed Roman to lead her out a different door to an outside courtyard. The cold air immediately hit her like a brick to the chest; but the view was breathtaking. Dozens of snow covered trees and shrubs surrounded a large fountain with a large stone angel at the top. Ignoring the cold, Aria took several steps closer to the fountain.

"How did you know that I would like this?" She asked curiously.

"I pay attention. Since I've know you, I've seen you appreciate scenic views especially when it comes to snow. I'm assuming you didn't see much snow in Ireland."

"Not really. It's really is beautiful."

Roman took off his coat and placed it neatly across her bare shoulders. His action startled her, making her heart skip a beat. He stood before her holding the coat in place with one hand, with his free hand he reached up to touch her face. "It's not as beautiful as you are, Aria. Believe that." He stated using his own character catch phrase.

"Roman...why...why are you so nice to me?" She questioned shivering due to the cold air.

"You interest me. There hasn't been anything that you've done that doesn't impress me inside the ring or outside of it."

His thumb moved across her cheek sensually. Aria found herself unable to move again. His touch was making her weak in her knees. It was slightly different than Randy's touch; but the effect was still the same. "Roman..." She whispered loving the way his name rolled off her tongue.

He loved hearing his name come out of her mouth in her sexy accent. From the time he met this woman, he knew there was something special about her. Her lips were begging him to be kissed. She was unconsciously testing him. Aria watched as he leaned in a little closer to her face. The pounding of her heart was heard in her own ears as she started to close her eyes. The feeling of his lips against her own ignited an inner fire she never knew existed.

Roman cut the kiss short, not knowing what reaction he'd get from her; but the feeling of her lips against his was the most surreal thing he had felt in a long time. Aria slowly opened her eyes to look directly at him. She was confused; but happy all at the same time. "Let's go back inside before you freeze to death." He suggested trying to give her some time to think about what just happened between them.

The warmth was inviting as they walked back inside the building. It wasn't long before the higher ups noticed that Roman was in attendance. They almost immediately cut in and began talking to him about plans for future shows. She let go of his hand and proceeded to walk away. The tingling sensation was still across her lips and it made her smile. He had just confirmed that he did care about her.

Turning to look back towards him, their eyes met for a moment before she turned to leave for the night. Just as she made it down the last couple steps, she felt a warm hand take hold of hers. Aria knew that it was Roman. Smiling to herself, she shifted back around to face him. "Were you seriously thinking about leaving without saying goodbye?" He asked searching her eyes for the answer.

"You were busy. You are the new number one contender for Brock Lesnar's title. There is a lot of things to discuss. I understand that. I'm..."

Her words were cut off by his lips crashing down upon hers. She couldn't believe that he was kissing her again; but it felt too good to push away. Her lips caressed his in a beautiful display of affection. Roman let his hands hold onto her hips, pulling her closer to him. The feeling of her lips responding to his own was unnaturally addictive; but he knew that he had to break away soon enough. There were quite a few important people inside waiting to speak with him. "Aria, you are by far the most amazing woman I have ever met." He whispered against her lips before standing straight back up.

Aria had no words to say in response to that. She had never heard such sweet words come from a man's mouth before he and Randy came into her life. There was just so much she didn't know about romance, because she was never given the chance to experience it before. She wished that they knew that about her. She honestly had no idea what she was doing.

"I got to go back in there. Are you okay to make it back to the hotel alone?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. Don't worry." She replied with a smile.

"Okay. Goodnight, Aria."

"Night."

He kissed her cheek before turning to walk back inside the building. Roman wasn't stupid, he knew that he hadn't won her heart completely. Randy was still nudged inside there and his hope now was that Randy would find out about the kiss and want nothing more to do with Aria. He wanted to be the one to protect her from Seth and be there for her when she needed someone. He wanted to be the one she chose when it came right down to it. Roman knew that he had a fight on his hands and he was willing to fight for what he wanted.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note: I'd like to thank Guest(1), Guest (2), and Guest (3) for the reviews. I'd also like to thank GlamaHart32, jamie. .9, and for becoming followers to this story. All of you about split down the middle with whom you would like Aria to end up with. I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter. **

Chapter 7: Secret's Out

Aria couldn't seem to focus on warming up. She sat on the floor in the woman's locker-room with the thought of Roman kissing her the night before. She was worried that Randy would never want to speak to her again after that. Her feelings for Roman were growing; but Randy was still on her mind daily. It was hard not to think about him. The intense stares they have shared over the last three weeks have made her insanely attracted to him.

She knew that her sister would be laughing at her right in that moment if she knew what was going on in her personal life. If there was one thing her sister was better at than her, it was romance and relationships. Aria had no idea what she was doing, let alone know what it was she was feeling for either man.

"Are you ready for this?" Paige asked walking into the room.

"No; but I have to be. Right?"

"Yeah..."

Paige could see the inner turmoil swirling in her eyes. She couldn't image what was going through her mind right that very minute in time. Letting out a sigh, she came to sit down next to her and leaned her head against Aria's shoulder. "You know I'm here for you. Do you want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you?" She asked.

"There is so much going through my mind right now. I...I don't know...how to focus on just one thing."

"Just start from the beginning. It might help a little."

Aria tucked her hand between her chest and her knees. She stared straight at the tiled floor, gazing into nothing at all. Her heart beating was the only thing she could hear beside their breathing. "Seth said he wouldn't make things easy for me. He's pretty determined to make my life a living hell while I'm here. To top it all off, Roman decided to kiss me last night."

"Wow...that's good...isn't it?"

"The kiss was great; but I just don't know how I feel about it yet. He's been super nice and understanding when it comes to my chaotic life; but..."

"But Randy's still got a hold on you."

Nodding her head, she leaned forward burring her face into her knees. At times like these, she missed her mother; but there was nothing she could do while being halfway across the world. Aria felt completely alone and confused. There was nothing Paige could say that would make anything any easier for her. "I'm sorry that you are going through this. I wish it was easier for you. I promise that I will listen any time you want to talk."

"Thank you..." Aria replied sniffling as she lifted her head back up from her knees.

Paige smiled and pulled the saddened woman into a tight hug. She could feel Aria tremble against her. There really was no denying the feelings she had for both men. It poured out of her like a waterfall. The heartbreaking thing was that no matter what she did, she would get hurt in the process and that was something she didn't want her friend to go through.

Randy walked into the arena, pulling his bag behind him. There was still a hope that creative had something for him; but in reality he knew better than to hope. Turning the corner he could see Seth talking with two members of the creative department. Aria's name rolled off his tongue and it instantly halted him dead in his footsteps.

"Tonight, she will make her heel turn and be offered to you by the authority."

"Will there be any romantic gestures tonight?" Seth asked with a slight smile.

"At the end of the night. A kiss. Nothing major, remember it's still PG rated around here."

Seth rubbed his hands together, enjoying the thought of being able to kiss her. He was going to enjoy the uncomfortable nature it would bring upon Aria. Looking up, he saw Randy walking in his direction with a purpose. The evil intent in his eyes was very clear. He hated the thought of Aria going through with the storyline.

"You better go by script tonight." Randy warned.

"Why do you care? If my memory serves me correctly, her lips were on Roman's last night."

His words stung. The thought of Aria kissing Roman was a real kick to the gut. He was already regretting not kissing her Monday after the snowball fight. He had every opportunity to do so; but he wanted her to be comfortable, for it to be her choice. Now he had no idea where that left them. It didn't matter, he'd still defend her against Seth's attempts to ruin her.

Randy reached out and took hold of Seth's shirt, twisting it against his neck and shoving up against the nearest wall. "I'm warning you. Do not touch her outside of script or you will have me to deal with." He stated with the most venom in his voice he could create.

"I get it now. You actually like her. Don't you?"

"Shut up."

"Randy...let go..." Stephanie stated softly as she placed a warm hand on his shoulder.

He wondered how she had approached without him noticing; but then again, he figured that he was so angry nothing else mattered, besides protecting Aria. Turning to look at the woman that was known as his boss, he could see the concerned look on her face. She was wondering what would drive him to put his hand on another.

"Come on, let him go." She asked again.

Randy let go and took a few steps backward. His eyes remained on Seth's figure. Stephanie could feel the tension between them and couldn't understand why. "Are you calm enough to tell me what's going on?" She asked.

"It's nothing."

"It didn't look like nothing. Seth, want to tell me what's going on?"

"No, I think we settled it." He replied not wanting to give away anything.

She crossed her arms over her chest, debating on whether or not to accept their answers; but there was nothing really to go on, except what she saw. Turning to look at Randy, she could see his hands were still clenched into fists at his side. There was obviously something that angered him enough to act that way. "Randy..."

"I know. I'm leaving..." He stated interrupting her.

Stephanie watched as Randy left the building. It wasn't even what she was going to say; but thought maybe it really was the best for the time being. At least until she could get to bottom of what was really going on.

**Smackdown**

The Authority stood in the ring. The crowd heavily bood them, not liking what they stood for or even what was about to come out of their mouths. They talked about The Royal Rumble pay-per-view and the fact they had to cancel Raw due to weather conditions. They talked about the triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship, praising Seth for doing a wonderful job despite not winning the title.

"We actually have a gift for you, isn't that right Steph." Hunter said with a smile.

"Yeah, she's kind of a blast from your past. Everyone please welcome, the Irish sensation...Aria...Connors..."

'Core of My Addiction' started to play. The crowd couldn't believe what they were seeing. Aria walked out onto the stage dressed in a pair of black vinyl shorts and a dark red tank top with glitter roses up the side. The boots she wore came above the knee with about an inch of heel on them. Seth turned to see her walked towards him.

Inside, Aria's stomach was churning with the thought of doing anything with him in front of thousands of people. All she wanted to do was crawl into a hole and pray that it would go away. Big Show turned to open the ropes for her, allowing her easy entrance into the ring. Her hair fell over her shoulders in curled waves.

Aria shook the hands of Stephanie McMahon and Hunter before turning to face Seth. He eyed her from head to toe with a sly smile that made her stomach retch on in the inside. "So what exactly is she going to be doing for me?" Seth asked.

"She's your new manager or maybe you can rekindle the old flame." Hunter answered suggestively.

Seth reached for her hand, twirling her slowly so he could get a good view of her the whole way around. The crowd was by no means happy with the decision. Aria took the microphone out of Seth's hand as people started to chant, 'You Sold Out'. "I didn't sell out. I bought in..." She stated with a smile that rivaled Stephanie's.

The entire group of Authority members cheered and clapped for her; but underneath it all Aria felt disgusted, revolted by the actions they were making her do. It wasn't until the main event of the evening, did she really feel the utter emptiness. Climbing up onto the apron to yell at the referee for a bad count, it gave Seth enough time to recover and hit the 'Curb Stomp' on the back of Dolph Ziggler's head.

The referee counted the three and signaled for the bell to end the match. Kane and Big Show shook hands, stating that it was a job well done. Aria raised an eyebrow at them before crawling into the ring. J&amp;J Security didn't really like her; but they didn't push her away. She raised his arm in victory, hating the heat she was receiving from the people she loved.

Seth turned and hugged Aria tightly. His embrace felt suffocating and possessive. Her instinct was to pull away; but it was her job not to, so she suppressed it down. She braced herself for what was to come next. Swallowing the large lump in her throat, she mentally cringed when his lips brushed against hers in a short chaste kiss.

**After The Show**

Aria ran into the Woman's locker-room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it she fell to the floor slowly. All she could remember was Seth's rage from three years prior. All she had done was reject his attempts to sway her into going on a date with him for the twentieth time; but he resorted violently. A hand across her face and a jerking of her arm, gave her the fear that rejection of any kind would set him off further.

It was the greatest reprieve that he was called up to the main roster, because she no longer had to deal with it...until now. She slowly got back up to her feet and pushed forward towards her bag. Quickly changing her clothes into a pair of ripped jeans and an Avenged Sevenfold band t-shirt, she grabbed her bag and started out into the hallway.

"Where do you think you're going, kitten?" Seth asked blocking her path.

"Out of my way, I really want to leave." She stated attempting to walk around him.

"I told Randy about your mouth being on Roman's last night."

She whirled around, dropping her bag to the floor. The anger was starting to boil to the surface. Aria couldn't believe how ignorant the man really was. She knew that Roman wasn't even in the building anymore. He had left earlier in the night to continue with the acting classes. There was no one to defend her now. She doubted Randy would even look at her now that Seth blabbed his mouth. "You had no right to say anything to him." She yelled.

"I told you before that I wasn't going to make anything easy for you and that's exactly what I did."

Aria wanted to hit him, push him, anything to get him away from her. Her anger was swelling. It was the only emotion she was embracing in that moment; but the tears stung the corners of her eyes, threatening to fall down onto her cheeks. It was everything Seth wanted to see and she fought not to let him have the satisfaction. "You did nothing, except make yourself look like a total ass." Randy's voice commented.

She turned her head to see him standing against the exit door. His eyes were intense and full on intent of harming Seth; but he wouldn't make eye contact with her. The thought of him wanting nothing to do with her hurt a lot more than she wanted to admit.

Seth raised his hand up innocently and backed away, leaving the strained friends alone. He was proud of what he already had accomplished in two short nights. Walking passed Randy, he nudged his shoulder into his before exiting completely.

Randy took a few steps closer to Aria, hesitating. Not know what he was even doing there; but seeing the fear on her face and the pending tears in her eyes erased all the hesitation he was feeling. Aria could feel her hands shaking at her sides. She couldn't hold back her cries any longer. She completely broke down with heart-retching sobs that tore at his heart. "Aria..." He whispered loud enough for her to hear him.

"It wasn't right...I should have been the one to tell you...not him..." She cried.

"Aria, it's okay..."

"It's not okay!"

She threw her arms up, run a hand through her long hand. Randy wrapped his arms around her, embracing her in attempts to calm her down. Her entire body trembled against his. There was more to Seth telling him about the kiss that bothered her. She was down right afraid of him, that much was very clear to him. "He made it sound like I made out with him. Roman kissed me, not the other way around." She continued to babble.

"Aria, it's okay. I'm not mad. We are friends. You can kiss whoever you want to."

That wasn't what she wanted to hear; but it was the truth. They were just friends. That's all Roman and her were as well; but her feelings were more than that. Her heart wanted both; but in reality she could only have one. Randy released her from his arms reluctantly. "Do you want me to drive you back to the hotel?" He asked.

"Yes..."

"Okay..."

Aria followed him to his rental. She got into the passenger side and stared out the window. The entire trip was spend in silence. She had no idea what to say to him, because her feelings for him were clearly not friendship bound. He awakened emotions she only imaged in stories she had read as a teenager. Randy wanted to comfort her in anyway he could. She seemed to be pulling back into the shell she had when they first met and he blamed Seth for that.

Coming to her door, she fumbled with the lock but eventually got it opened. Aria turned to face Randy, hoping to see some sort of emotion in his eyes. "Thank you for the ride." She stated tossing her bag inside onto the floor.

"You're welcome. Get some sleep..."

"Do you want to come inside for awhile?"

It was the first time she had seen him smile that day. He nodded his head in confirmation and stepped inside the room right behind her. She closed the door and proceeded towards the sofa chaise. Randy eyed up the room's bar. "May I?" He asked.

"Sure, help yourself."

He made a simple long island iced tea. The tart liquid rolled easily down his throat. He watched her sit down and run a hand through her hair again. "So what happened before I got there tonight?" He asked hoping to get some answers as to why Seth wanted to make the woman's life a living hell.

"I told you about his persistent asking me for dates. Well, after I rejected him several times he started to get physically violent. He slapped me once and has jerked on my arm several times. One of them being last night at the charity thing."

Randy was completely stunned. He never expected her to tell him about abuse. He wondered how long she had been keeping that a secret. Without even realizing it, he had closed the distance between them. Aria looked up at him. Her beautiful blue eyes were blood shot from crying. She was by far from dressed up; but she was still beautiful to him. Everything about her was perfect. "I warned him today if he didn't go by script with you, then he would have me to deal with."

"So that's why he told you about the kiss. He felt threatened."

He sat down next to her, brushing his knee up against hers. The simple touch sparked a desire deep within her. She watched him take a sip from his drink, noting that his lips would taste like the drink itself if she kissed them. If she kissed him, then Roman would have a problem with her next. No matter what she did, someone was going to get hurt along with herself. It was wrong to feel for two men at the same time; but she couldn't help but need them both in her life.

"Him telling me wasn't your fault. I provoked him first."

"It doesn't hurt any less. I really thought you'd want nothing to do with me after..."

"Shh..." Randy interrupted sitting his glass down onto the floor on the opposite side of the sofa.

Aria blinked several times watching him take her hands into his. His hands were warm and comforting. It was exactly what she wanted. Needed. "Me wanting nothing to do with you will never happen. I have no idea what it is about you; but from the time I met you, you've been all I can think about. It sucks that I missed last night's event. I bet you looked absolutely gorgeous, just like you do right now."

"God no, I'm just in jeans and a t-shit. I'm so ordinary."

"Beautifully ordinary."

Randy softly chuckled at her resistance to his compliments. Aria smiled, finally feeling relaxed after the events at work. His thumb brushed across the back of his hand back and forth, sending pulses of desire throughout her entire body. She enjoyed his touch. In fact, she loved it. It consumed her. It was different than Roman's touch. She felt safe with Roman; but with Randy, she felt free. It confused her as to which was better to feel.

"Thank you..."

"You know, I should have kissed you Monday."

"Why didn't you?"

"I wanted it to be your choice..."

A smile crept to her lips as the heat returned to her cheeks. He wanted everything to be her choice; but that was the problem. She had no idea what to choose. Randy realized that she had no idea what to do. He reached out to cup her cheek, lifting her face to meet his gaze. "I want to kiss you; but I won't if you don't want me to." He whispered leaning in closer.

"I won't object." She whispered back.

His smile returned and leaned in the rest of they way. Her lips were warm and inviting. The connection sent waves of pure heat throughout their bodies. She lost herself in feeling of his lips covering her own, tasting the alcohol on his tongue. The fire burning in her heart was intense and addicting. Randy held the back of her head gently, tangling his fingers in her crimson locks.

The kiss itself felt like an eternity; but in reality it only lasted a minute or so. Breaking away from her was the hardest thing he's had to do in a long time. She opened her eyes to look into his. "You are amazing." He stated leaning his forehead against hers.

"I really don't know anything about relationships or romance for that matter. I won't lie and say that it didn't feel good, because it felt amazing; but I just..."

"I know...it's okay. I'm a patient man, Aria. I will let you choice what happens."

She wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him. He reached for the glass on the floor and finished its contents before standing up to leave her. Aria walked him to the door and lingered her lips against his cheek. "Thank you for standing up for me tonight." She said twining her fingers with his.

"You're welcome; but I'm not going to let him ruin you or hurt you."

"Thank you..."

"Goodnight, gorgeous."

"Goodnight..."

Aria watched him back away out the door, not loosing eye contact with her until the door was officially closed. She reached up to touch her lips, still feeling the tingling sensation on them. She knew that Roman would eventually find out about it; but her heart was still pounding against her chest that she couldn't even form a single coherent thought about anything but Randy's lips against hers.

**End Note: How would you readers feel if I up'd the rating to M? There is some intimate scenes that have come across my mind for this story. Would you guys want to read to that?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Author Note: I want to thank XoxoShon12, Guest, gagan(Guest), Guest(2), Me(Guest), and HelloP for the wonderful reviews. I'd also like to thank Becka D, caleb's babe, and HelloP for becoming followers to this story. All of seemed to be okay with the increased rating, so from here on out this will be rating M. I will admit that this is quite the challenge. Love triangles are tricky to write because everyone takes a side and there is a fear that you will loose readers due to the inevitable choice. I hope that I don't loose any of you wonderful readers when the choice is made; so until then, enjoy the new chapter and prepare for some heartbreaking things to happen in Aria's life. **

Chapter 8: Cryptic Message

It had been over a week since Aria had been kissed by both Randy and Roman, and she had done everything in her power to avoid them both. She had no idea what to say to either of them. She was quickly becoming the master of excuses. Stating she was busy or forgot to answer text messages. It hurt to say the lies; but she honestly had no idea what to do.

Aria figured that Roman had found out about the kiss by now and would want to confront her about it; but he never insisted upon seeing her. Randy was banned from the shows due to the incident with Seth backstage. The only thing she wanted to do in those moments was cry, because she felt so horrible about allowing both of them to kiss her.

"You can't avoid them forever, you know." Paige stated walking into the locker-room after her match.

"I know...but I just can't face either of them right now." Aria replied slipping into her leather jacket.

"Aria, just speak from your heart. If they care enough about you, then they will understand."

Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she shook her head before facing her ebony haired friend. Her crystal blues eyes were watery with tears. Paige took a step closer and wrapped her arms around her neck. Her hand was gently placed onto the back of Aria's head. "You know how wrong that sounds. You know how bad I look because of all of this. I care about them both and I don't know what to do about it."

"I know."

Paige kissed the side of her head before letting out of her arms. Aria grabbed the handle of her bag and slowly started to walk out of the locker-room, turning her phone off in the process. A few minutes after her friend left the room, there was a loud knocking across the metal door. She pulled down the shirt by the hem and reached for the handle of the door, pulling it open. Roman stood before her with an emotionless expression on his face.

"If your looking for Aria, she already left." Paige said hating the look on his face.

"I figured as much; but I didn't come to see her. I came to talk to you." He replied placing his hand on the door, keeping it open.

"Me? Why?"

"You are her best friend, are you not? If anyone would know what's up with her, it's you."

Paige mentally cursed. There was no way she could avoid that conversation, nor did she want to. She felt that he deserved to know what was going on. He didn't even know about her past with Seth Rollins. All he knew was that Seth was a major dick when it came to Aria. "Okay...let me finish getting changed and we can talk."

"Thank you..."

Roman let the door close and he took several steps backward. All he could think about was the evasiveness of Aria. There was something going on and he wanted to know what it was, even if it had something to do with Randy Orton. They weren't dating that was a for sure thing; but he just had a nagging feeling about it that just wouldn't leave him be.

It wasn't long before Paige emerged from the locker-room with her bag over her shoulder. Following Roman, she pulled out her phone. She scrolled through the names, landing right on the name she wanted. Randy. Tapping her finger against the screen, she opened a new message window. _**"Meet me at my hotel room, there is something you should know about Aria. Roman will be there as well, so be on your best behavior. Don't make me regret helping you."**_ She typed and hit the send button.

"Where do you want to talk at?" Roman asked turning to face her.

"My hotel room. It's the quietest place."

Paige shoved her belongings into the trunk of a rental car as Roman got into the passenger side of the car. She was really hoping that what she was about to do was the right thing. Aria was completely lost, unsure of what to do next that she was at risk of loosing them both. She didn't want to see that happen. In fact, she enjoyed seeing Aria happy. Both Randy and Roman made her smile. Both gave her a will to continue to push forward even though she knew that Aria wanted to run away from her current reality with Seth Rollins.

"Just a warning...Randy will be meeting us there." Paige confirmed.

"Why the hell would you do that?" Roman growled.

"Because he cares about her, whether you believe that or not...he does."

"Fine...whatever..."

Roman clenched his hands at his sides. He hated the thought of Randy being anywhere near her; but he knew that in someway, he'd never let Seth hurt her in anyway. That was the only plus in his column as far as he was concerned.

Aria stepped out of the elevator, she was pulling her bag behind her. When she looked up from the floor she could see a female figure standing outside her door. Her back to towards her. All she could see was long red hair in tight curls, form fitting jeans, and a denim jacket. "Can I help you?" Aria asked closing in on the figure.

"I should hope so..." The woman spoke in the same Irish Accent.

Turning around, the woman came face to face with Aria. Aria's eyes widened, not believing her own sight. Her words escaped her mouth. Blue eyes stared straight back into her own blue eyes. "Alayna..." She whispered dumbfounded to see her own sister standing right in front of her.

"Aria..." She whispered back choking on the single word.

Hearing her sister choke on the name immediately alarmed to something else entirely. Something was wrong, because Alayna never cried for any reason. Her eyes were already tinted red, like she had already cried once before recently. "What's wrong? You don't cry. Why are you here, because you made it perfectly clear that you wanted nothing to do with me." Aria asked in a harsh tone.

"And for that, I am sorry."

"You're sorry? I reached out to you more than one time and each time...you threw it right back at me."

"Aria...please..."

"Does mom and dad know your here?"

Alayna shook her head, wiping her tears away from her cheeks. Aria pushed passed her sister to unlock her door. There were a dozen questions swirling inside her head in that moment. There was no reason for her sister to want to mend things just out of the blue. It made no sense at all. Rolling her bag inside the room, she turned back around.

"Why are you here, really?" Aria asked.

"Can't I just want to see my sister?"

"No. You tore my heart out one too many times. I believe nothing you tell me."

Aria's eyes narrowed. She didn't believe the act that was displayed right before her eyes. Did she really think that everything would okay and they could go back to way things were before? Alayna swallowed hard, understanding the resentment. She hadn't really given Aria a reason to be welcoming; but if she told her the real reason she was there it would destroy her. Shatter her to the point that maybe no one would be able to mend the broken pieces.

"I understand..." Alayna stated taking several steps backward.

"If you thought that things would just go back to the way they were before, you were dead wrong. I needed you a lot over the years and you abandoned me because I wanted to make something of myself. I was not selfish. I love wrestling and if you can't understand that, then I don't have anything to say."

Alayna could see a new determination that she had never seen before in her sister. She wondered who she had to thank for bringing that side of her back out. The only thing she could see was Aria closing the door in her face. Tucking her hair behind her ear, she let out a sigh. Eventually she would have to tell her why she was there; but it obviously wasn't going to be that night.

Paige and Roman met Randy at her hotel room door. The tension was almost immediate. Paige had to think that it was for the best and prayed that both men were adult enough to handle the fact that Aria does indeed care for both of them. Randy looked the approaching diva dead in the eyes. There were slight bags under his eyes. As if he hadn't slept very well for a couple days. He shifted his gaze from her to Roman. There was only one thing in common they could agree on and that was Aria's protection from Seth. Other than that, they hated each other.

"Is she okay?" Randy asked softly.

"She's fine physically anyway..." Paige replied opening the door to her hotel room.

The trio made their way inside, the door closing behind them the moment they stepped over the threshold. Roman knew he was going to have to bite his tongue a lot during this conversation, so he pulled his hair back into a tight bun and sat down on the arm chair positioned diagonal from the bed. Randy leaned against the nearest wall and farthest away from Roman. Paige rolled her eyes at the immaturity.

"Roman, I'll start with you. Why did you come to me?"

"You know why I came to you. She's been avoiding me for over a week. I can understand kissing her would have scared her; but I figured she'd come to me about it." He replied.

Paige turned to look at Randy, who was looking down at the carpeted floor. The feelings of Aria's lips against his was still fresh in his memory. All he wanted to do was understand what she was feeling, whether it was good or bad. He just wanted to be there for her. "Randy, what about you?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"We all know she's been avoiding both of us because we both kissed her. It's that simple."

"Wait! You kissed her!" Roman questioned not realizing that it had happened already.

Randy's lips upturned in a half smile. He kind of got some amusement out of Roman's sudden flare in anger. Paige held her hand up to stop Roman from voicing anything else. She really didn't want a fight in the middle of her room. "Yes, he did; but all of that is irrelevant here. The fact is that Aria is extremely confused about everything. She cares for both of you; but I think time away from both of you will do her some good. Things really aren't that simple anymore, now that Seth has an onscreen relationship with her."

"I've been banned from the arenas for another week because I confronted the prick about it." Randy admitted.

"I know and I'm assuming Aria told you about the history there."

He nodded his head, remembering exactly what she told him about the physical abuse in NXT. Roman was clueless as to what they were talking about. He also felt like Aria trusted Randy more with her secrets than she did him. From the time they met, he noticed how their attraction to one another was like a drug. He figured Randy was addicted to her and that's why he couldn't leave well enough alone. "Mind telling me what the hell your talking about?" Roman snapped standing up from the chair.

"Seth physically hit her several times while down in NXT. She's afraid of him; but you'd never know it because she hides it really well."

"Why didn't she say something?"

"She wanted to deal with it on her own; but seeing how the two of you shower her with attention, it's just fueling his fire. He will use it against her."

Randy looked from Paige to Roman. The tension slowly started to fade away and they relaxed when they realized that it would only hurt Aria in the long run. That was not something either of them wanted. They understood what they needed to do. "Aria doesn't really know much about relationships. Let her come to you. I'm not taking sides and I won't take a side. I believe that both of you are good for her in one way or another. I wouldn't trade her smile any day, because both of you make her happy."

Aria lay on the bed staring at the ceiling. Her heart was racing as she thought back on the kiss she shared with Roman and the one she shared with Randy. Her mind started swirling, pulling at different directions. Seeing Alayna again after two years, gave her a bad feeling. It was too random to be a coincidence. She definitely had an agenda; but she was too upset to let her speak. "What the hell is wrong with me? I'm turning into her." She told herself sitting up and ran a hand through her crimson locks.

She reached over for her phone and turned it on. After a few seconds, her screen appeared and several messages came through along with a voicemail. The missed call was from her mother, so she wanted to listen to the message._** "Aria, it's mom. I just wanted to call and check on you. Alayna made her way to the states yesterday. The news I gave her didn't sit well with her. If she tracks you down, please let her back in. You will need each other. I love you, goodnight."**_

"Mom..."

Her hands started to tremble with a thought of something ever being wrong with her. Her mother was the voice of encouragement throughout her entire life. She pulled her knees up close to her chest and leaned her head into her legs. She wished someone's arms were around her, comforting her; but the question was who did she really want to be there. Both Roman and Randy gave her comfort and made her feel safe.

Her fingers moved across the screen on her phone, wanting to read her unread text messages. Her sister had blown up her phone before actually seeing her. It made her realize that her visit wasn't intended to be a surprise. Her stomach twisted with the thoughts of her mother's cryptic message. Was there something wrong? Or was is just her imagination playing tricks on her mind.

"Fuck this!" She stated standing up from the bed.

She wasn't going to let her mind control her. Aria knew that she needed to walk off her chaotic mindset. Alayna wasn't going to get to her not matter what her sister thought. Slipping on her leather jacket, she walked out of the room and into the large hallway. The heels of her ankle boots clicked against the floor as she stepped into the elevator.

Outside, the cold air brushed against her cheeks. The white of snow fell all around her, making her hair sparkled against the street lights. She really did find snow to be beautiful. It made her think about the snowball fight with Randy. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought of how it made her feel. It was a normal thing to do between two people that cared about each other. It was an innocent game of fun. It was one thing she would never forget.

"Aria..." Roman's voice questioned.

Aria turned around to see Roman standing under a street light, snow tangled through his long dark hair. The way the light shone down upon him, it made him look completely breathtaking. The look in his eyes worried her. There was an unexplained sadness radiating in them. "Roman...I'm..."

"Don't! Don't explain. I understand."

"What?"

He closed the distance between them and took her hand into his, rubbing his thumb across her knuckles. She didn't know what he was talking about. How could he understand anything that was going on if she never told him about the kiss she had shared with Randy? "I was worried that you were pissed at me for something; but now I understand what you're doing. I just want to tell you that you don't have to push me away."

"I don't understand. Do you know what happened?"

"Randy kissed you, yeah I know. I also know about the abuse you suffered from Seth in NXT."

Now she understood. The truth was finally out in the open between both of them. She pulled her hand away and sat down on the cold bench behind her. Her eyes stared out into the snowy night air, watching all the cars pass by. "I care about both of you. I'm sorry that I can't fully commit to one of you, because I just don't know what I want. I don't blame either of you if you want to just stop being around me."

Roman smiled and sat down next to her, taking her hand into his once more. This time, she returned the gesture by twining her fingers through his. It was a sense of comfort she needed. Her mother's message was still on the front of her mind. It just couldn't be a coincidence that Alayna was in the states wanting to mend their relationship.

"We aren't going to want to stop being around you, no matter what you think. I can't speak for Randy; but I know that I'm willing to let you do what you feel comfortable doing. If you by chance want me, then I will be there for you in every way you want me to be."

"Thank you..."

She didn't want to mention Alayna's sudden appearance, because she really didn't know what to make of it yet. There was no point in bringing it up just yet. She was content in just enjoying his comfort and knowing that he was willing to wait around for her to make a decision. He was willing to let her do what she was comfortable doing.

Roman leaned in and placed his warm lips across her forehead. She snuggled into his chest, accepting the comfort he was willing to give. They sat on the cold bench, letting the snow fall upon them. They didn't care about anything else than just feeling the comfort both of them needed in that moment.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note: Thanks goes to Seth rollins babe, Guest, and HelloP for the reviews. I know some of you aren't really into the family drama part of Aria's life; but trust me this part is crucial to how Aria behaves the rest of the story, so please bare with me. I love reading all of your opinions so please don't hesitate to let me know what you think. Enjoy the new chapter, it's my longest one yet.**

Chapter 9: Shed Some Light On The Truth

"Come on Seth!" Aria yelled from outside the ring.

She slammed her hand down on the mat, encouraging her onscreen boyfriend to get back into the match against Dolph Ziggler. Her wavy red hair fell over her shoulder and fell into her eyes. She was well aware of the camera aimed directly onto her face. Seth countered with a standing drop kick to Dolph's face, then immediately crawled to his corner to tag in the Big Show.

Seth rolled out onto the floor right in front of Aria's feet. She knelt down, placing her hands on his bare chest. Her face full of concern. Inside, she was smiling because she felt that Seth deserved everything he got and then some. Swiftly turning her head back up to see how Big Show was doing, her eyes widened when she caught a glimpse of Dolph being thrown outside the ring only a few inches away from her.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, she moved away from Seth just as he was getting up. The handicap match was clearly unfair; but that was just how The Authority did things when someone didn't like how they did things. Dolph was a major thorn in their side, along with Ryback, Erick Rowan, John Cena and Roman Reigns. Randy Orton had already been taken care of months ago.

Aria watched at Big Show continued to punish Dolph on the outside before throwing him back inside. Seth begged for the tag, which Show granted. Within a matter of moments, he hit the 'Curb Stomp' and picked up the win. It was once again time to fake her happiness of their win, when in reality she hated it.

She rolled into the ring and took hold of Seth's wrist to raise his arm up. The crowd heavily booed them. It didn't matter to them, they enjoyed not letting the people see what they wanted to. Seth turned to face her and leaned down to capture her lips. He lingered a little longer than necessary; but she didn't fight against it.

Dolph tried to get back to his feet once they left the ring. His eyes lingered on them. They were filled with much anger and resentment. Aria smiled at she patted her hand on Seth's toned abs. Big Show placed a hand on the top of her head, clearly enjoying the fact that she was a part of The Authority.

**Backstage, After Show**

Aria walked next to Seth just as the show went off the air. She tucked her hair behind her ear, remaining silent. She had nothing to say to him; but if she knew him enough, he would try to talk to her. His hand reached out to take hold of her arm firmly. "You did good tonight. If I didn't already know you hated me, I would have thought that you actually gave a damn." He commented.

"I'm doing what I'm told. Don't make such a big deal out of nothing."

"Why can't you just admit that there is something between us?"

Jerking her arm away from his grasp, she narrowed her eyes at him. His accusation was completely delusional. There was nothing between them and never has been. The only thing she remembered about him was his hand against the skin of her face. The others may only know of the one incident; but her mind remembered several others.

"There is nothing between us! You've hit me several times when I've declined your attempts. There is nothing good about you."

"Aria, that happened while we were in NXT. I'm a different person now."

"I doubt that..."

Aria walked passed him attempting to get as far away from him as possible. His claim to being a different person was ludicrous. From what she had seen so far on the main roster, he was still the self-centered dick he's always been. "I will prove it to you!" He yelled down the hall just as she slipped around the corner.

Seth ran a hand through his wet hair, not understanding why she was stubborn. He was trying to apologize to her; but once again, she bolted before he could even say the words. Big Show approached him and place a large hand on his shoulder. "Why is that woman so important? Steph and Hunter make such a fuss over her to." He asked not really knowing anything about her.

"Well, for one, she's extremely talented in the ring. That girl can fly like the best of them. For me, that woman could easily further my career. This angle let's me show the world another side of me. Its an aspect that's needed to be champion and she will help me do just that. Become champion."

"Looks to me like she wants nothing to do with you..."

"Don't worry, Show. I know exactly how to sweet talk a woman."

Aria wrapped a warm towel around her naked body. A shower was exactly what she needed to wash away the scent that was Seth Rollins'. Walking back into the large locker-room, Paige was sitting down on a bench staring at the script for the next televised show. The look on her face was that of disarray. "What's wrong?" She asked clasping the strap of her bra around her back.

"Looks like I'll be shoved into a short angle on Raw." She replied.

"What do you mean? Onscreen romance?"

"Not really; but I'll be tagging with him to face you and Seth."

Aria froze. She didn't expect to have to face Paige in the ring anytime soon. Judging from Paige's tone of voice, she didn't expect it either. Nor did she expect to be tagging with Dolph Ziggler, the man she's had her eye on for the last week or so. Pulling up her jeans, she walked over to side down next her troubled friend.

"Don't worry about it. We will go out there and put on one hell of a show. You and I came from the future of the divas division, remember that." Aria said taking hold of Paige's hand.

"Why can't I tag with you. Seems more logical."

Aria let out a small laugh, she leaned over to hug her friend. Both women didn't like the idea of being against each other in the ring; but it was just how things were. Paige was a face and Aria was a heel. It was bound to happen sooner rather than later. Standing up, Aria reached into her bag for a shirt and pulled out a white zip-up tank top with laces up the sides.

"So are you angry with me?" Paige asked softly lifting the handle to her travel bag.

"No, you told them exactly what they needed to know. Randy and Roman are still there for me. I just wish I had the nerve to tell them myself."

Paige was thrilled the thought of her best friend not being angry with her over her choice. She found herself smiling; but the reality was that it wasn't going to get any easier for Aria. She still would have to make a choice in the end. Whether it was in favor of Randy or in favor of Roman was anyone's guess; but there was also the choice to let both of them go, which Paige didn't see happening. They made her too happy. "Things worked out, so don't worry about it." She answered.

"Can I tell you something? This can't go passed this room, understand." Aria stated zipping up her knee high boots over her jeans.

"Of course."

"My sister Alayna showed up at my hotel room last week."

"I thought you said that she didn't want anything to do with you."

Aria let out a sigh. She thought that there was more to it than just a visit. Her mother's cryptic voice message was another thing that kept her up at night. She felt like they were entwined somehow; but she hasn't seen Alayna since she slammed the door in her face to even ask. "So did I; but she said she was sorry for all the things she said to me."

"Do you believe her?"

"No; but I also got a voice message from my mom. It sounded like she wanted me to forgive her; but it was so cryptic, I didn't understand why."

"I think maybe you should talk to Alayna, maybe she knows."

Aria tried to grasp the idea of that; but the only thing she felt was pain. Sheer emotional pain that almost consumed her, because the thought of something being wrong with their mother was the worst thing that could happen to her. Paige wrapped an arm around her as they started to walk out of the locker-room together. No words needed to be said, because each other knew what they needed. Fun. Drinking and fun that could only be given by going out.

Tossing their bags into the backseat of Paige's rental, they quickly got into the vehicle intent on forcing themselves to forget about all their worries and allowing themselves to have some fun. Aria felt her phone vibrate against her thigh. Lifting the device up to her eye level, she swiped her finger across the screen to read the message from Randy. _**"What are you up to?"**_

She smiled upon reading the message. It had been the first time they have talked all day. She knew that he wasn't at the arena, because of his ban. Thankfully it was the last show he was banned from. He had full reign come RAW on Monday. Her fingers moved across the screen fluidly. _**"Heading out with Paige. We've had a pretty crappy day."**_

"_**Where to? I'll come out to. I haven't seen you since the ban."**_

"_**I don't know yet. I'll text you when we get there."**_

Paige could see the smile on Aria's face out of the corner of her eye. Judging from the way she was acting, it had to be Randy. There was always a difference in behavior. Randy made her accelerate, flush with excitement, and tremble. Roman made her calm, relaxed, and blush. Neither action was bad, it just made it harder to decide what she wanted more.

Thinking about her own friend's feelings, it made her think about her own. Dolph was a sweet guy, not deserving the treatment he's been getting from the higher-ups. They believed he was injury prone; but that just wasn't the case. The people loved him and that was what should drive them to make matches. She turned the wheel into a large crowded parking lot.

Aria looked up to see what the name of the place was before she texted Randy again. She turned to see Paige fix her hair in the rear-view mirror. Looking at each other, they smiled and got out of the car. They could hear the music from outside the building, which was a good sign for a fun time. The line was clear out across the sidewalk. Rolling her eyes, Paige walked up the line and talked to bouncer at the door. After a minute or two of talking both women were allowed inside. Sometimes it paid off to be famous.

"Wow, there is so many people..." Aria commented looking around the large building jam packed with people.

Paige grabbed her hand and tugged her along in the direction of the bar. She couldn't help but laugh at the woman's attempt for fun. Pushing through the throb, Paige ordered two bottles of beer. Aria turned to look around and saw Roman sitting alone. A smile curved her lips until a flash of red hair sat down across from him. Her blood ran cold. Alayna was sitting across from him.

Without even thinking, she started to make her way towards the table. Paige turned back around with the bottles only to see Aria making her way towards Roman. Randy walked into the club, spotting Paige right off the bat. They made eye contact for a brief second. The look in her eyes alerted him to something else entirely. He turned his head to see Roman sitting across from a woman that look a lot like Aria and to see Aria herself walking in their direction.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Aria snapped looking directly at Alayna.

Paige and Randy made their way to the table. Roman eyed them suspiciously. There was clearly something going on. He didn't even know who the woman was sitting across from him; but he had a guess, considering she looked a lot like Aria. Blue eyes met blue eyes with emotionless stares. "Good to see you again, Aria. I was just about to have a conversation with Roman."

"Be my guest; but the only things he knows about you...is how much of a conceited bitch you are."

Alayna looked to Roman. He lifted his hand slightly, giving her a small facial gesture that it was indeed true. She looked back to her sister only to see another man standing behind her. Randy Orton. The way both men looked at her, gave her the mental image of a triangle. It must have been one of the things Aria wanted to talk to her about in her e-mail. "If anyone is conceited around here it's you. You must really like having both of them shower you with attention."

"So we are back to that! Why is it so hard for you to believe that I have friends and people that care about me."

"It's not hard to believe. Aria, I didn't come here to fight with you."

Roman could see the anger swirling in her eyes. He shifted his gaze to Randy, hoping he'd understand that the situation was about to get ugly if Aria didn't calm down. He had seen her in that rage induced state only one time and it was caused by Alayna. Randy reached out to take hold of her arm gently. "Aria, calm down." He said softly.

"I am calm. So why did you come here?"

"I told you why I came to the states."

Alayna stood up and took a step closer in her sister's direction. Aria swallowed the large lump in her throat that had been forming over the last few minutes. The tension was thick. Roman watched at Alayna reached out to take hold of Aria's hand. "I know you don't believe me; but I am here for you. I told you that I was sorry for everything I said and I meant it."

"You're right, I don't believe you; so if you don't mind, I'd like to spend some time with my friends."

"Fine..."

The small group watched as Alayna started to walk away. She knew that eventually she was going to have to Aria the truth as to why she was in the states. There was only so much avoiding of the subject she could do before it had to come out. Looking back, she saw the group sit around each other at the table. Lowering her head, she continued on towards the exit.

"Why didn't you say anything about her showing up?" Roman asked.

"Cause I thought I got my point across, I was obviously wrong." Aria replied taking a swig from her beer.

Paige wondered if Alayna's comment about Aria enjoying attention from both men was getting to her. She certainly didn't blame her if it did. Aria cursed herself for not allowing Alayna to talk again. The four of them fell silent, listening to the music that surrounded them. Randy reached under the table and took hold of her hand. Her fingers instantly laced with his. His touch was sending pulses of electricity throughout her entire body. Letting go of his hand, she finished her beer.

The song changed to one they actually had heard before. Paige perked and immediately took hold of Aria's arm, pulling her along. She intended on dancing. The night needed an uplift. Alayna's appearance kind of dampened the mood and she didn't like it. Roman and Randy watched from a distance, neither making a move to go down and dance with her. "So I heard you will be making your return at Fast Lane." Roman commented trying to break the awkward silence between them.

"Yeah...it's about damn time."

"When are you going to tell her?

"I was going to tonight; but that didn't happen. Her sister showing up and you here...it kind of defeated the purpose, because how am I supposed to tell her that I'll be her enemy onscreen in a week.

Roman understood exactly where he was coming from. If he had news like that, he wouldn't want an audience either. He also knew what it felt like to be her enemy onscreen; but his feud with Seth was going to be explosive the second he returned. Aria would eventually be caught in it. "This is a fucked up situation we are in, you know that right?" Randy stated looking down at Aria dancing with Paige.

"Yeah...I know..."

Aria moved around Paige with a smile just as the song ended. They raced each other up the stairs with a laugh. They moved towards the table only to find that Roman and Randy were no longer there. She frantically looked around, trying to find a glimpse of them. It hurt to think they left without saying anything; but then again, she realized that they've spent almost an entire month trying to get her attention. She felt her phone vibrate twice in a row in the pocket of her jeans. _**"Sorry sweetheart, you were having so much that I didn't want to interrupt. I really need to get some sleep. My flight is super early."**_ Roman stated.

"_**Okay...no big deal. Just was worried that I did something to upset you...again."**_

The second she sent the message the screen of her phone shifted to show the second message. _**"There is something I want to talk to you about. Could you stop at my hotel room when you head back from the club? The number is 1775."**_ Randy asked. Aria frowned at the message. She wondered what was so important that he couldn't have just talked her about it while he was there with her.

"_**Sure, I'll text you when I leave."**_

"Everything okay?" Paige asked bringing them another set of beers.

"Yeah...Roman said his flight is super early and needed sleep. Randy said he needs to talk to be about something later."

Taking a long drink from the bottle, Aria looked down at her phone that lit up with Roman's name across the screen. Paige smiled. Despite the crappy way the whole thing was going to end, she was happy to know that Aria was cared about that much. Without even asking, Paige already knew that Aria would go talk to Randy after they left. _**"No...you did nothing wrong. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Good night sweetness." **_

"_**Goodnight."**_

Moving her phone away from her vision, she looked at Paige. There was a questioning look upon her pale face. "What?" She asked hoping to get whatever is on her mind out in the open. Paige shook her head in a sudden laugh. "Nothing, it's good to see you happy."

"Paige...I don't even have idea what I'm doing. I'm just going with how I feel in the moment."

"And that's perfectly okay."

**The Hotel**

Aria walked out of the elevator at two-thirty in the morning. She made her way to Randy's room at the end of the long hallway. Lifting her hand up to knock on the door, she hesitated. Her heart was racing, leaving her palms to become sweaty. How was she going to focus on the conversation when she couldn't even focus outside his room?

Wiping her palms on the side of her pants, she balled up her fist and connected it with the door. Randy opened the door moments later, allowing her inside. He closed the door behind him, then turning back to look her. She was absolutely beautiful. Her hair fell into her eyes perfectly. Aria looked up at him. His eyes were full of emotion. Emotion that she didn't understand. "So what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked nervously.

Randy could hear the shake in her voice. She was clearly nervous and he couldn't figure out as to why. They have been alone before in a hotel room, because that was where he had kissed her. He took a step closer to her. "Relax Aria, I'm not asking you to date me. This is about work."

"What about work?"

He watched her sit down on the oversized arm chair. She was concerned now, he could see it on her face. Mentally, he was trying to figure out the best way to word what was about to happen. Before he could even say a word, he felt her hand grab his. She pulled him towards her, making him sit down next to her. "Randy, what's going on? You can tell me anything." She assured.

"I'm going to be making my return at Fast Lane..."

"That's awesome!" She interrupted.

"Yeah, except it's going to be during Seth's match. Our feud will begin. We will be on opposite sides, Aria."

She took in all of what he said, realizing they would be enemies onscreen. She could understand why it would be difficult. If she wasn't careful, she could easily get hurt in the crossfire. "Randy, I will be fine. I've been trained by some very amazing people. I won't screw up. I promise."

"That's not what I'm worried about. I know you will do you job perfectly. You're forgetting who I am onscreen. Creative will have no problem having me target you, for the sake of making the feud more personally than it already it."

That was something she never thought of. If creative decided to have him target her, that would mean that he would have to lay his hands on her physically. Aria could see the struggle behind his eyes. He was now in a position he didn't like. Luckily, they were only what ifs. She laced her fingers through his hand. "I can handle it. I know that you would never hurt me intentionally. Those are only what if scenarios. It may not even happen."

"Are you always this optimistic?"

"Not always; but in this case, I need to be."

She finally received the smile she had been waiting all night to see. Reaching up to touch his face, she could feel the shadow of his facial hair against the skin of her palm. Their knees brushed against each other, causing both to shiver. He wanted to kiss her more than anything; but he remembered what Paige told him. He had to let her come to him. "Randy, I am sorry that I didn't tell you face to face about what was going on with me."

"It's okay. I'm not going to push you. You do what you feels right to you."

Aria bit her bottom lip, feeling the need to feel his lips against her own. Everything about him made her want to indulge in the addiction she felt was happening around her. The way he looked at her made her body feel like it was on fire. It heated her in so many ways; but she felt that if she indulged than she would never back away. "Thank you. I appreciate your understanding."

"I'm not going to give up on you until you tell me to."

She stood up, letting go of his hand. Randy watched her step towards the door. He may have said a little too much; but she had to know that he wasn't going to give up on her until she verbally told him to. Her heart was pounding against her chest so hard that she thought is would leave a bruise. Mentally cursing at herself, she turned back around and walked back toward him. She reached up and pressed her lips onto his.

Randy was a little surprised by her actions; but he wasn't going to complain about it. He held onto her hips, pulling her closer to him. Her lips were the most addicting thing he had ever felt. His touch continuously sent tingles throughout her entire being. He could taste beer on her tongue the second she brushed it against his own.

He enjoyed feeling her heated skin against his fingers. She was perfect in every way. The only problem now was convincing her that she belonged with him, not Roman; but the choice was her own. It wasn't something he could force down her throat, nor did he want to. He wanted to be chosen because she wanted him.

Aria broke the connection hesitantly. She was out of breath; because the way he kissed, it literally took it away from her. "Aria..." He whispered.

"I'm sorry...I..."

"Shh...It's okay. I told you to do what felt right to you. I never said anything about making a choice."

Her eyes quivered, wondering why he was so understanding. She kissed him and she enjoyed every second of him. In fact, she wanted more; but she forbade herself the satisfaction of it. The reality of everything was wrong. She shouldn't have feelings for two men at one time. Randy leaned in and kissed her cheek softly. "Go on, get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight..."

After closing the door behind her, she leaned against the wall a moment to gather her composure. Her lips were still tingling with the sensations of his caressing hers. How was she ever going to be able to make a choice when both of them made her body want things she never had before. After a few seconds of standing there looking like an idiot, she finally made her way back to her own hotel room.


	10. Chapter 10

**Author Note: I'd like to thank XoxoShon12, Guest, Krys Jericho, and Leasha Orton for the awesome reviews. I'd also like to thank bigtimefan08, alliebear85, and rhodesXmorrisonXorton for becoming a follower to this story. I've got a lot of new ideas for this story and I'm personally glad that a lot of you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoy writing it all for you.**

Chapter 10: Nothing but the Truth

Roman watched out of the corner of his eye Aria warming up for her match later on that evening. He could tell something was really bothering her. She instantly plugged in her earbuds to her phone to block out the outside noise. Alayna's sudden appearance probably hadn't done wonders for her state of mind. He could tell that she was pushing everyone away. She hadn't spoken a word to him since the night in the club. Paige and Randy were also on the list of being ignored.

"You know, watching her isn't going to make her talk to you." Dean stated approaching his friend.

"Something is wrong. I just have this feeling like she's pulling herself behind that large wall of ice again."

"Just talk to her instead of stalking her."

Dean patted Roman on the shoulder before walking away in the opposite direction. Roman watched as Aria moved her legs into a full split, moving her upper body around in a circle. He was mesmerized by her movements; but subconsciously made his way towards her. She looked up from her position and gazed up into his face.

"Hey..." He greeted hesitantly.

"Hi..." She replied taking out the small devices from her ears.

"Are you okay? You don't seem like yourself."

His question took her by surprise. She figured that it came as no surprise. She had been avoiding everyone including Paige. After briefly giving in to her wants with Randy, she thought it best to stay from all of them. Now wasn't the time to cause more problems than there already were backstage. "I've just had a lot on my mind. That's all. I'm not mad at anyone, if that's what were getting at."

"Understandable. You know I'm here for you if you need anything."

"I know...thank you..."

Roman nodded his head, disappointed that she wasn't more talkative. He was positive that there was something wrong and he wondered if it had something to do with Randy. Was her feelings for him growing? Would she choose him in the end? Both men had a mutual understanding when it came to her and would still be friends with her no matter what the outcome was. Seth was a common enemy and neither wanted to see him harm her in anyway.

Aria stood up from the floor content with the amount of warming up she had gotten done. She reached out to take hold of his arm. His skin was soft and warm to the touch. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so distant; but with my sister being here, following me everywhere I go, I've just got so many questions." She admitted.

"I get it. Have you just sat down and talked to her one on one?" He asked.

"No. I honestly don't want to. There is no doubt in my mind that she's here for a reason. What that reason is...I have no idea."

He smiled, leaning in to place his lips on her cheek. She blinked several times, trying to grasp the reason for the sweet gesture. "Don't worry so much about it. She will let you know why she's here sooner or later. Until then, just concentrate on your match. It's been a while since you've had one." He encouraged.

"No thanks to creative's stupid idea to put me with the biggest dick in the company."

"Trust me...none of us like it."

Aria lowered her head to think back on Randy's words. He was so worried about creative. He was worried about her role in their feud. Roman cocked his head to the side, wondering why she suddenly cowering away from him. "Roman...do you think...they will have Randy harm me onscreen?" She asked fumbling over her own words.

"It's a possibility. Are you worried?"

"I know he is and I guess I am to..."

He tugged against her hand, pulling her into his arms. His warmth encased her entirely. She knew that he was trying to be comforting; but she couldn't shake the feeling that he was enjoying the turmoil that surrounded her and Randy, because it was befitting him. Pulling out of his arms, she continued on down the hall towards the woman's locker-room. "I talk to you later..." She stated.

Paige turned the corner, heading for the locker-room to change into her ring gear. She was still pretty upset with the fact that creative was making her go up against Aria in a little over an hour. She just didn't expect it to be so soon after her debut. Lifting her head up from looking at the floor, her eyes met those of Dolph Ziggler. A breath of air was caught in her throat as he pushed himself back into a standing position from the wall he had been leaning against.

"Dolph, hey, what's up?" She greeted rushing her words a little.

"Just came to see if you were ready." He replied with a smile.

Dolph knew that she was nervous. He could hear it in her voice. It actually surprised him that she would even feel nervous. Her presence in the locker-room and even outside of work gave him the impression that she wasn't afraid of anything; but here she was all nervous over a simple mixed tag match, and that's when it hit him. It wasn't about the match itself. It was about Aria.

"I know she's your friend; but I honestly think you two will put on a show. You both are extremely talented." He encouraged.

"Thank you; but it isn't just about Aria. I don't want to mess up and make you look bad either."

He smiled. She loved his smile. It sent her stomach into flip flops. She really hoped that he saw that there was more to her than just another pretty face. Judging by the way he talked, she doubted that he did. That was until she felt his hand touch the side of her face. The simple gesture accelerated her heart to pound against her chest. She figured that was how Aria felt every time Randy or Roman touched her. No wonder she had a hard time choosing one of them.

"Don't worry about it so much. You will be just fine."

She smiled, raising the piercing on her mouth a little higher. Dolph wondered if the woman before him had an interest in him. The look her dark eyes was full of admiration. His dismissed the accusation and retracted his hand from her face. He gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze before walking around her.

Swiftly turning her head around to watch him walk away, she let a softened sigh escape her lips. She wished that she had the nerve to say something to him, ask him for a drink, anything; but she was not like most of the other divas in the business. She was the anti-diva. The one that didn't spend five hours in front of a mirror making herself the perfect model.

**Raw, Mixed Tag Match**

The bell chimed as Lilian Garcia stood in the middle of the ring. She wore a short black dress that was slightly longer in the back than the front. The boots she wore came to her kneecap. The crowd that filled the building started to quiet down as she rose the microphone to her lips. "The following contest is a mixed tag match scheduled for one fall..." She introduced.

'The Second Coming' started up, giving the crowd reason to start their consistent boos. They knew who was about to step foot onto the ramp. Seth Rollins walked out with his damaged Money In The Bank briefcase. His two-toned hair was dripping with water. The droplets rolled down his leather tank-top. Behind him, Aria walked out dressed in a similar attire, vinyl halter-top and short vinyl shorts that hugged her curves perfectly.

Aria smile came immediately after looking Seth in the eyes. He leaned in a pressed his lips onto hers briefly before sliding into the ring. Aria slid into the ring between his legs, rolling to her feet with a twist of her body. "Introducing first...the team of Mr. Money in the bank, Seth Rollins and The Irish Sensation, Aria Connors."

Aria hated being introduced that way; but creative insisted that it be done that way to create more heat on her and Seth. Another thing she added to the already growing list of things she didn't like with this storyline. When she heard the familiar scream of the first second of Paige entrance theme, her body went rigid. If the reality of their match hadn't sunk in yet, it sure as hell did then. "And their opponents. First, from Norwich England...Paige."

Paige walked down the ramp with a sly smile upon her face; but deep down she hated every minute of seeing Seth holding onto Aria's hand. The image sickened her. The second Dolph's music started up, the people started to cheer ever so loudly. "And her partner...from Hollywood, Florida...weighing in at 213 pounds...Dolph Ziggler."

Aria watched as her best friend got into the ring with the man she had been crushing on for the last few weeks. Seth turned to her and insisted that he start the match, which surprised her considering how much of a coward he really was. Aria stepped through the ropes and took hold of the tag rope hanging from the turnbuckle.

Dolph shook his hands at his sides, reading them for a lockup. The referee signaled for the bell, allowing the match to start. Both men locked up; but it was Dolph who took the early advantage, twisting Seth's arm behind his back. Seth quickly jabbed Dolph across the jaw a few times until the hold was released.

It came as no surprise that Seth tagged in Aria. He wanted nothing to do with Dolph. She stepped through the ropes, standing firm in her place. She looked Dolph in the eyes. Going into her onscreen character, she yelled at Paige to get into the ring. Paige held out her hand, begging for her own tag.

Once it came, both divas looked at each other. Circling each other, waiting for the right moment to strike. Aria was quick, she kicked the younger diva in the abdomen following up with a swinging neckbreaker. Seth clapped and cheered for his girlfriend. He loved every minute watching her dominate the former two-time divas champion.

"That's my girl!" Seth yelled towards the people behind him.

Swallowing the bile in her throat, Aria lifted Paige up by her hair; but her hands were shoved away and a fast right hand connected with her face, making her stumble back a couple steps. Dolph clapped, getting his partner back into the match. Paige delivered a standing dropkick. Aria rolled onto her side. The stunned look on her face surprised Seth.

Seth jumped down from the apron and started to talk to Aria from the outside. Paige reached up and pull Aria back to the center of the ring by her ankle. Seth sneered at the dark haired diva. Aria tried to scramble away; but her opponent was relentless. The kick to her stomach was stiff, knocking the wind right out of her.

Paige wrapped Aria's legs around her own and leaned down to pull up on her arms, locking her into the 'PTO' submission. Aria screamed out in pain. Seth ran to the other side of the ring and pulled Dolph Ziggler down off the apron. It distracted Paige enough to let Aria out of the submission on her own. She watched as the two men brawled on the outside.

Aria rolled on her side, favoring her right knee. Paige rolled out to the outside and slapped Seth across the face. His head jerked to the side from the impact the woman made against his face. No one noticed Aria climbing to the top rope until it was too late. She leapt off the top rope and crash landed on top of the three bodies below her.

The crowd began chanting 'Holy Shit' as Aria started to get back to her feet. The referee was already at a count of four before using the apron to get back to a vertical base. She leaned down and pulled Paige up by her hair, rolling her into the ring. Paige lay flat on her back. Aria climbed to the top rope once more, intending to finish the match on her own. Twisting her body, she performed a perfect 450 splash. The referee counted the three, allowing her to pick up the victory for her team. She held onto her stomach with her arm. Seth wrapped his arms around her tightly. She rested her head onto his shoulder. His gloved hands petted the top of her head. He could feel her trembling against him. Inside his own mind, it worried him. It made him think that maybe she got hurt at some point during the match.

**Backstage (Not Filmed)**

Aria could see the swelling forming on her left side. When she heard footsteps coming up from behind her, she quickly lowered her top to cover it up. Turning around, she came face to face with Seth. The look on his face was unlike anything she had ever seen before. It displayed concern, something she thought he wasn't capable of feeling.

"Your hurt aren't you?" He stated.

"I'm fine." She snapped back.

He took another step closer to her until her back was up against the wall. The feeling of her trembling in his arms no more than ten minutes prior made him think otherwise. She squinted her eyes closed when she saw his hand reach out towards her; but there was no strike against her. In fact, there was no touch at all.

Seth decided against trying to be comforting to her. He realized that she was still afraid of him. The way she cowered away from him was proof of that. Aria opened her eyes to see him retracting his hand back to his side. "I wasn't going to hurt you; but I think you need to get checked out by the doctor, because your side is swollen." He stated before walking away.

Narrowing her eyes, she had no idea what games he was playing with her; but she didn't like them one bit. She remembered his warning at the charity event. There was no way in hell that he was being genuinely concerned for her well being. Turning heel, she continued on down the hall towards the woman's locker-room.

Paige walked slowly down the hall. Her mind went back to the match. Watching Aria fly off the top rope onto her and the two men was simply breathtaking to watch; but seeing Aria cringe in pain after the match ended, it gave her a sense of worry. Did something happen to her? Was she the reason? "I told you that you would be just fine out there." Dolph's voice echoed from the opposite side of the hallway.

"I did; but I'm not so sure Aria is fine."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw her cringe in pain as she was giving me the 450. She might be hurt after all that tonight."

Dolph understood her concern; but it was a risk they all took day in and day out. There was nothing that changed the amount of injuries that happened, even the minor ones; but he could see Paige's empathic gaze. The look tugged at something deep within his own heart. Was he becoming attracted to her? Was she to him? It was hard to figure out when the feelings were so new to both of them.

"I think I'm going to go check on her." She whispered.

"Right, okay. I'll ah...see you tomorrow." He replied backing away from her.

She stepped out around him and continued on towards the locker-room, where she hoped Aria would be. Pushing the door open, she could see a topless Aria strapping on a black bra with white trim around the edges. There was no doubt in her mind then that she was indeed hurt. The swelling on her left side was immense. It was already starting to bruise. "Please tell me that you got that checked out." She stated closing the door behind her.

"I'm fine. It's just a little bruise."

"That! Is is not a little bruise."

Aria ignored her friend's concern. There was nothing majorly wrong with her and she wouldn't have a match again for a long while, so it would have time heal. She pulled her top down over her torso, covering the said injury in question. "I'm fine. There is no reason to be concerned."

"Do you really think I believe that?"

"Believe what you want."

Aria shrugged and headed straight for the door, pulling her bag along behind her. Opening the door, she ran right into Roman's large frame. Hissing in pain, she took a step back to look him dead in the eye. Roman noticed immediately the look of pain on her face. He opened the door the whole to reveal another person standing beside him. Aria's whole body went rigid upon seeing her sister.

It didn't take long for her temper to show through her usual calm demeanor. Ignoring the pain, she pushed her forearm into the throat of the slightly smaller woman. Her back hit against the concrete wall behind her. "What the fuck are you doing here?" She yelled.

Alayna struggled to get a breath. Roman pulled at Aria's waist to separate them. His stern gaze prevented her for lunging at her again. "Calm down. She's here to tell you why she came to the states." He assured the angered woman in his arms.

"You better not lie to me, Alayna. I swear things won't end for you on a good note."

The estranged siblings understood what it meant. Roman allowed her out of his grasp. Alayna could see that her sister was clearly hurting. The pain on her face was plain as day. She was in physical pain; but after what she said, it would cause her emotional pain as well. The worst combination, especially for Aria.

"Mom has cancer..." The words flowed out before she herself was ready to speak them.

"What...no! Your lying!" Aria yelled.

"Aria! I'm not lying. Mom got the news over a month ago. Its hard to say whether or not she will beat it or not."

Aria had no idea what to say. She felt completely numb. How was she going to focus on work knowing her mother was going through hell? Now she understood why her mother's voice mail message was so cryptic. She was waiting for Alayna to bring the news. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" She asked softly.

"I tried to; but I just couldn't figure out how to tell you. I'm sorry."

"So instead...you ignored the subject and followed me around for a week. You even managed to insult me on more than one occasion."

Roman knew that it was time to put space between the siblings. Aria was starting to go straight for the jugular in making Alayna feel awful about herself. He reached out to touch Aria's shoulder, pulling her back towards him; but the woman opposite of him took hold of Aria, embracing her tightly. A single tear rolled down her pale cheek. "I am so sorry for everything I've done." Alayna apologized.

Aria looked into Roman's eyes from the shoulder of her sister. The look in them worried him. Her usual warmth was gone, replaced by despair. The news of her mother was not sitting well with her at all. He had a feeling that she would eventually lash out, even do things she wouldn't normally do. He watched as the sister's separated and Aria retreated away from the small group.

"Aria..." Roman called.

"No! Let her be alone. Trust me, it's better that way." Alayna stated placing her hand on Roman's arm.

"What did you expect when you drop a bombshell like that a week after you got into the states? You're lucky I didn't let her tear you apart."

Alayna didn't say anything else. She knew that she wasn't well liked with any of Aria's friends. Roman just wanted to be the one comforting her. Holding her, showering her with the attention she deserved. Instead, he was stuck with the sister from hell and Paige.

Aria leaned against her rental, shedding tears that were for her mother. She wanted someone to hold her, to tell her that everything would be okay. Even if it wasn't. All she wanted was to feel wanted and cared about during this rough period of time. She knew that it was time to make a trip home for a few days.

Every time she cried, the pain in her ribs sent waves of agony straight through her. Knowing Roman hadn't followed her, meant that he felt that she needed to deal with it alone. That just wasn't the case at all. The pain was almost too much for her to bare. Collapsing to the ground beside her vehicle, she pulled her knees up against her chest.

"Aria..." His comforting voice sounded.

Randy knelt down next to her, not understanding her wave of anguish. He didn't understand why Roman would text him, telling him to make sure she wasn't alone. Why wasn't he there for her himself? None of it made sense. Aria slowly lifted her head from her knees, her makeup ran down her cheek in black streaks.

"My mom has cancer..." She admitted when she was calm enough to form the words.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry..." He replied wrapping his arms around her.

Aria snuggled her head into his chest, wanting to feel every ounce of comfort he could give her. Randy didn't know if he should say anything else to her in the fragile state of mind she was currently in. He was content with just holding her, placing his lips on the top of her head and being there for her when she needed him most.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author Note: I'd like to thank AKSimons and KarmaJay for the reviews. I'd also like to thank AKSimons and KarmaJay for becoming followers to this story. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it for all of you. There is a major twist in this chapter that I feel is necessary to build more drama. Hopefully, you all with enjoy it.**

**NOTE: Some Sexual Content Present!**

Chapter 11: Behavior Change

Aria managed to keep her injury a secret from Randy, even after he had accompanied her back to her hotel room. After leaving her alone, she collapsed on the bed and cried until she fell asleep. The next morning, she called her mother with the want to come home and see her. There was much debate on the subject; but her firm mother was against her daughter coming home. Claiming that it wasn't serious enough for the missed time at work.

Little did her mother know that Aria wanted to miss work. The angle with Seth Rollins was slowly eating away at her. She didn't want to believe that he was a different person; but the attention he was showing her was hard to ignore and then there was conflicting, confused feelings she had for both Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. She just wanted to escape it all.

She stood up from the bed, instantly feeling the pain in her ribs. Lifting her shirt up, she could see the swelling and, much to her dismay, the bruising. There was no doubt in her mind that she either had severely bruised ribs or a broken one. It wasn't something she could keep hidden for long and she knew it. She had no idea who she could tell that would keep the injury a secret so she could get it checked out by a doctor not affiliated by WWE.

Both Roman and Randy were out of the question. They would want her stop working to properly heal; but she just couldn't afford to do that. She's only been with the main roster for little over a month. An injury like the present one would be looked down upon by the higher ups. Aria quickly got dressed and made her way down to the lobby. Swallowing the huge lump in her throat, she made it to the receptionist desk.

"Miss Connors, what can I do for you?" She greeted.

"Could you tell me if there is someone by the name of Alayna Connors booked here?" She asked.

"I really can't. It's part of our privacy agreement."

"Of course it is...okay, thanks anyway..."

She stepped back away from the desk and pulled out her phone. Her fingers hesitantly moved across the screen, typing in a message to her sister that she really didn't want to talk to; but it was her only option at that point. _**"You want to make up for the shit you did to me? Then meet me at the hospital in thirty minutes."**_ She sent.

"_**Be there!"**_ She replied within the next minute.

Aria walked out to the parking garage and unlocked the doors to her rental. Looking up from the ground, she came face to face with Roman. He dressed casual. Jeans and a T-shirt. His hair was down and fell across his shoulders. She stopped walking, not knowing what to do or even what to say to him in that moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"I've been better. I called my mom this morning. She doesn't want me to come home. It's not serious enough for that."

"That's a good thing, so where are you going in a hurry."

Aria had a feeling that someone would show up to check on her. The thought of lying to him didn't sit well with her; but she had to if she wanted to keep the injury a secret. Roman didn't wait for her to answer when he took her into his arms. The pain surged through out her entire body; but she refused to let a cry of pain out of her mouth. "You had me all worried. I know the news about your mother hasn't sit well with you; but I promise that I'll be there for you when you want me to be."

"Then why didn't you follow me last night?" She asked pulling away from him.

"Alayna wouldn't let me. She thought it best if I let you be alone; but I couldn't do that, so I texted Randy."

His confession hit her hard. He listened to her own sister instead of thinking for himself. She turned away from him to open the driver's door to her car. Roman could see that she was upset with his choice of actions. He watched her sit down behind the wheel. She reached out to pull the door closed; but Roman's hand caught the door, holding it still. "I'm sorry. I wanted to be the one comforting you. Do you really think I wanted Randy holding you? I didn't; but I didn't want you to be alone, so I had to make a choice." He pleaded.

"I really need to go..." She stated ignoring his pleas.

"Aria...please..."

"Don't! I need to go. Please let go of the door."

Roman let go and watched her shut the door in his face. She started the ignition and pulled out of the garage without even looking back at him. He couldn't understand her sudden change in attitude. She was cold and downright evasive of him. He would have thought it had something to do with Randy until he saw him out of the corner of his eye getting into his own vehicle.

"What the hell is going on with her?" He asked himself.

Paige heard almost everything that was said between Aria and Roman. It didn't come as much as a surprise to her as it did to him. Aria had been slowly changing since Alayna showed up. That much was for sure; but she also knew that the angle with Seth Rollins was eating her alive.

"Don't let it bother you, Roman." She stated closing the gap between them.

"How can I not? She literally shut the door in my face."

"It's not you. There is so much she's dealing with. I think it might be just too much for her."

Roman turned around to face the ebony haired diva. Her facial expression was soft, sympathetic; because she knew exactly how he felt about Aria. What could he tell her that she didn't already know?

**Local Hospital**

Aria pulled into the spacious parking lot of the local hospital. She couldn't let the injury go any longer without it being checked out. She could see Alayna leaning against a beautiful black Lexus. Rolling her eyes, she stepped out of the vehicle. "I'm surprised you messaged me." Alayna commented.

"Trust me, I didn't want to; but I can't trust my friends with this."

Alayna looked at her sister, wondering what could be so bad that she would have to hide it from her friends. It just wasn't adding up at all. She watched Aria walk closer to her. Her breaths were short, not deep at all. It was like she could barely breathe.

"So what's going on?"

"Alayna, you have to promise me that this won't go outside the two of us."

"Aria, you're freaking me out. Yes, I promise. What's wrong?"

Aria slowly lifted the left side of her shirt, revealing the severely swollen and bruised ribs. Alayna's eyes widened. She was definitely hurt and she wondered why she hadn't gotten it checked right after her match. There was more to it than her sister was letting on.

"Holy shit, Aria. Why in the hell didn't you get that checked after the damn match?"

"Because, If I let them know I'm hurt then it wouldn't look good to the higher ups. Don't you get it? I've only been on the main roster for a little over a month."

Alayna let out a sigh, understanding her sister's concerns. If it wasn't bad enough their mother had cancer, now she had an injury that could potentially sideline her. Not to mention the conflicting feelings she had for two different men. No wonder she tried to reach out to her. It made her feel even worse about the things she's done to her. She wished that she could take back all the awful things she had said and done.

"Okay, let's get it checked out. Hopefully it's just really bruised and not broken."

"Thank you..."

Aria started to walk towards the entrance when her phone vibrated against her upper thigh. Ignoring it, she stepped inside the hospital. Alayna immediately stepped to the receptionist desk and began speaking to the lady. Aria pulled out her phone to examine who had messaged her. Randy's name lit up her screen. _**"How are you feeling today?"**_ It read.

She ignored the message. She wasn't in the mood to be babied. It wasn't what she wanted. The initial shock of her mother's illness had passed and now all she wanted was to be left alone. Roman's inability to think for himself angered her and to find out the only reason Randy was out there was because Roman told him to. That also angered her. Tossing her phone into her purse, she met Alayna's gaze.

It wasn't long after that Aria was taken back to be seen by a doctor. Alayna followed her carrying her coat and purse. She felt her sister's phone vibrate at least five times before stopping. She'd have to tell her about it after they've figured out what was wrong. Hopefully before the Smackdown tapping later that evening

**The Arena, Before Smackdown**

Roman decided he'd head to work early. He couldn't seem to focus on anything else besides Aria's bitterness towards him. He walked out into the empty arena. The sight of all the empty seats was weird for him. He was so used to seeing them all filled up. The stage crews and ring crews were working hard to finish up everything in time.

He sat down in a folding chair behind the barricade. Looking down at his phone, an empty text message to Aria was on his screen. He had attempted to text her numerous times since the blowout; but he couldn't seem to find the right words. What could he tell her that would make her understand that being alone was not what she needed? She needed to be surrounded by people that care about her.

"_**I am sorry that I upset you. I truly didn't mean to. I'd never want that. Can we please talk when you get here tonight?"**_ He typed and hit the send button.

He pleaded for a response; but none ever came. Roman folded his hands and moved them across the top of his head. He never imaged that woman could have such a hold over him and he wasn't even dating her. He wondered how Randy stayed so calm; but maybe he was just the better actor when it came to her.

**The Hospital**

Aria dug into her purse for her phone. There were six unread messages waiting for her. Closing her eyes, mentally preparing for whatever they said. Alayna was sitting across the room in an armchair reading a magazine. _**"Aria, I really think taking your problems out on Roman was uncalled for. He freaking cares about you and you practically threw it in his face."**_ The message from Paige read.

"_**Seriously, beautiful...how are you feeling?"**_ Randy messaged for the second time.

"_**I'm worried about you..."**_ He said again.

"_**Aria, creative has brought your name up again. New things will be coming your way soon."**_ Stephanie messaged.

"_**Good luck tonight, I love you!"**_ Her mother said.

"_**I am sorry that I upset you. I truly didn't mean to. I'd never want that. Can we please talk when you get here tonight?"**_ Roman messaged.

Ignoring all the messages except the one from her mother, she sat her phone back down into her purse. The message from Stephanie worried her. What if she was hurt and they wanted her to wrestle more? The truth would have to come out eventually. Alayna slightly moved the magazine away from her face. She could see the distraught look on her sister's face. "Do you want to talk about what's been going on with you? You've been ignoring your phone all day. Something tells me that those two men are worried about you."

"It doesn't matter. All they want to do is baby me right now. I don't want that. I just want to be left alone."

"You don't do alone well, Aria. You know that as well as I do."

The doctor walked into the room with a chart in his hand. There was no emotion on his face as all; so it was impossible to tell what the news really was by looking at him. Aria slid up into a sitting position, hissing in pain as she did so. "Well it looks like your ribs are just really bruised. There is nothing broken in there." He stated.

"Oh thank god..." Aria breathed out.

"I prescribed a slight pain killer. It will bring down the swelling as well. Just sign here and you may get out of here."

Aria quickly signed her name and got up from the bed edge. Alayna lay the magazine on the small table and came to her sister's side. She wondered what would happen now. Would things go back to the way they were? Them not speaking. Walking outside the building, they made it back to their own vehicles. "Aria, I think...I think you should talk to them. Let them be there for you."

"Look, I just want some space from them. It's not that I don't care...I just don't want to be smothered right now with all the sympathies."

"Okay...just don't push them to far away. You'll regret it later on."

Alayna reached out to embrace her older sister. Maybe they would someday be like they once were back home. It was time to seriously get over the past and start over anew. Aria took her sister's words to heart; but at that moment, she really didn't want to listen to them. Both Randy and Roman made her feel fragile. Like she could easily be broken. She wanted to prove to them that she was strong enough to deal with all the problems on her own.

**After Smackdown**

Aria had done a good job of avoiding Roman. She had heard that Randy wasn't even in the building, which was good for her. She wouldn't have to look him in the eye and do the exact same thing she had done to Roman earlier that day. Her heart crumbled every time her mind did what it wanted to do. Her heart wanted her to embrace them both, let them love her in ways she deserved; but her mind did something completely different. Her words were bitter, harsh with venomous intent to push them away. She really was turning into her onscreen character. She felt trapped inside herself.

The show went by in a blink of an eye. She did exactly what she was told to do, embracing Seth after a victory. Even kissing his lips as they walked up the ramp together; but even during all of that, her mind was still on all the chaos that surrounded her. There just wasn't anything that could stop the bleeding in the wounds of her heart.

Turning the corner with her bag trailing behind her, she could see Paige talking with Dolph. Deep down she was happy for her friend; but she really hoped that she wouldn't try to talk to her, because she didn't want to. It was just best that way. It would prevent something she didn't mean to come out of her mouth.

Their eyes met for a split second. No words were exchanged. Just a simple expression greeting while in passing. Paige didn't want to push the issue. There was no point in angering her even more than she already was. In some ways, she could understand why Aria was upset with Roman and Randy. The whole situation from the previous day was done without thinking first.

An hour later, Aria found herself in a local club sitting at the bar sipping at a Captain N'Coke. The music was loud enough to drown out any problem. The alcohol allowed her to relax and forget about it all. It didn't take her long to finish the drink and ask for another. Her phone vibrated on the granite bar counter. _**"Long time, Aria. Been watching you. I was totally blown away by your match on Raw. Come down and visit us soon."**_ Becky stated.

It had been a long time since she last talked to the first friend she had made in the wrestling world. Closing her eyes, the pain of everything was starting to crash down around her again. Drinking the rest of her drink, the buzz was starting to suppress the horrible feelings down. Aria wasn't satisfied with just a simple buzz. She ordered another drink.

"Do you think drinking is going to solve your problems?" Seth's voice washed over her.

"At this point...yes I do..." She replied tipping the bartender for her drink.

Seth sat down in the seat next to her ordering a beer. He could see the flush on her cheeks. She was already buzzed. He wondered what would put her in the position to want to drink it all away. Taking a long swig from the bottle, he turned to look at her. The far away look in her eyes. "So what are you drinking away?" He asked softly.

"Why are you here?" She asked.

"You looked like you could use some company. Thought I was being nice..."

She turned her head from her drink to looked directly at him. The look in his chocolate eyes was sincere. The most sincere she had ever seen him to be before. She by no means believed that he was a different person; but his company was welcomed, because it was different. He wasn't trying to smother her with sympathies, because he didn't know about her life.

Seth looked over at her glass and realized that it was half empty already. The girl was putting the drinks away. Pretty soon she was going to be a complete mess and unable to make it back to her hotel room on her own. He had to limit his own alcohol intake to make sure that the woman next to him was safe.

"You aren't nice, Seth. You never have been." She answered.

"Yeah...you're probably right."

He almost laughed at his own words. Aria finished her third drink, feeling the vile liquid overtake her senses. Her body felt numb. It was exactly what she was going for; but now all she wanted was to feel something. Her mind made zero sense. One minute, she didn't want to feel anything and the next, she wanted to feel something.

"Why...why do...you hate me?" Aria slurred.

"You are drunk. You're just blabbing nonsense now." Seth replied.

"I am..not drunk!" She yelled.

Seth rolled his eyes, realizing that he needed to get her out of there. Chugging the rest of his beer, he took hold of her arm gently pulling her against him. She stumbled hard into his chest. The feeling of his toned muscles under her fingertips created friction between her legs she really didn't want to feel at all. "I am taking you back to the hotel." He stated, not giving her a choice in the matter.

"Why do you hate me?" She asked again once seated in the passenger side of Seth's car.

"I don't hate you. Annoying, yes; but I don't hate you."

The words spiraled into her fuzzy mind. She honestly didn't know if she would remember the conversation the next morning. Seth spent the drive in silence as Aria stared out the window. He helped her into the elevator and down the hall to her hotel room. Taking the keys from her shaking hand, he unlocked the door. Closing it behind him.

It felt weird being alone with her. If anything, now was the perfect time to prove to The Big Show that he really could sweet talk her. Turning back around to face her, she was already removing her coat and her shoes, stumbling as she went. She reached for the zipper on her back that would remove her top from her body. Seth instantly went rigid. He had not been prepared for that. "Aria! Can you wait until I leave to undress?" He stated.

"I actually need help with the zipper. I can't reach it."

He mentally cursed at himself as he walked closer towards her. His fingers took hold of the small silver zipper and slowly started to pull down. Aria closed her eyes enjoying the tingling sensations his fingers left on her skin. Seth separated the zipper, allowing the material to flow free from the clasps. The large Celtic cross tattoo on her back was beautiful, perfect for her body.

Seth gently eased her back to lean against his chest. His warm breath caressed her shoulders, sending waves of pleasure straight to her core. "I think...I should leave before we both do something we will regret." He whispered against her ear.

"Nobody's stopping you..." She stated slurring every word.

He took a step back, she stumbled to catch her balance. Her top fell off her shoulders, revealing a blue lace bra. He stared at her, soaking in the visual before his eyes. Her flat toned stomach was met with a belly piercing. Her breasts were perfectly framed by the bra that he almost salivated at the thought of removing. "Damnit..." He cursed before pushing her against the separating wall, capturing her lips with his own in a fever of ecstasy.

Aria could feel her body heat up with every move of his lips on hers. The overwhelming urge to feel something was infused with her drunken state of mind. Seth's tongue slid down the side of her neck, nipping against the flesh of her collarbone. His hands moved up her sides, caressing her still covered breasts. Gently pinching the nipples through the fabric. His knee parted her legs, allowing him to drop one of his hands between her legs.

Seth rubbed his fingers over her core through her leggings. She could feel the wetness forming. It was hard to fight against it, when it felt good. Aria twined her tongue with his in battle of dominance, neither succeeding in the effort. She felt his hand leave from between her legs and slip beneath the waistband. His warm hand was heavenly on her already heated skin.

His other hand unclasped her bra from behind, pulling it away from her. Her perfectly shaped breasts were right in his view. Shifting his head, he eagerly took one peak into his mouth. Flicking his tongue against the sensitive bud, it sent even more pulses down to her womanhood. A soft moan escaped her mouth. Seth smiled as he switched to the neglected breast. He moved his hand to her hips, pushing the leggings down her legs.

He kissed his way down her stomach, coming face to face with her matching panties that hugged her backside perfectly. His fingers rubbed against the rough material, feeling her wetness through them. Capturing her lips once more, he whispered "Wet already, I've barely done anything." He stated with a cocky arrogance.

Aria wanted to tell him to 'shut up' but the words never came out of her mouth. She felt his fingers slid underneath her panties, sliding one into her slick folds. His warm tongue made contact with her clit. Another moan escaped her mouth, drowning in the sensation of his mouth on her bundle of nerves.

Seth enjoyed the taste of her; but it felt wrong to be taking advantage of her drunkenness. He wanted her, there was no point in denying that; but not in that way. Aria dug her nails into his shoulder with her right hand and held his hair with the other. Moving his finger slightly faster than before, he knew that she'd reach her peak quicker. Sucking on her clit, he slid a second digit into her.

She was completely at a loss for words, her cries of pleasure were enough for her. The tightness in her lower abdomen was an indication that she was extremely close to her finale. Seth felt her nails dig in harder. Her body started to tremble with the aftershocks of the orgasm. Rising from her, he kissed her lips. Aria tangled her fingers in his long hair, pulling him closer to her. She felt his hardness against the middle of her belly.

"I can't..." He whispered breaking contact.

"What?" She questioned.

Seth took several steps back away from her. The look on her face was that of rejection. If only she knew that he really wasn't rejecting her. It was wrong to take advantage of her, especially when her heart wasn't into it. It wasn't him that she wanted it. It was either Roman or Randy. Even now, he couldn't tell which one it was.

"You are drunk. I've taken enough advantage of you..."

"You aren't nice, Seth. Why are you acting nice?"

"Trust me, I'd be okay with this any other time; but I can't do that to you. As much as you think I hate you...I don't..."

He placed his lips on her one last time before turning away from her. Aria leaned back against the wall, watching him walk away. The fuzz of her brain was slowly starting to clear up, allowing reality in to her already chaotic mind. The moment the door closed, tears rolled down her face. She realized what almost happened between her and her worst enemy. "Oh my god...what have I become?" She cried.

Slowly walking toward the bed, she collapsed on top of it. She cried herself to sleep, hoping that she had the courage to face the reality of tomorrow. She hoped that Seth would keep his mouth closed about what happened; but knowing him and who he was, there was no doubt in her mind that he would cause more problems for her.


	12. Chapter 12

**Author Note: I'd like to thank Lilygirl95, Guest, XoxoShon12 and VioletPlaid for the wonderful reviews. I'd also like to thank Neisha03Ty and Lexi.U for becoming followers to this story. I can see that my last chapter shocked a lot of you. I hope you enjoy this new chapter and don't hesitate to let me know what you think. I love to read your opinions. It's going to be a little shorter than my previous chapters.**

Chapter 12: The Talk

Aria awoke with a pounding headache. Her temples felt like they were in a vice-grip. The decision to drink heavily wasn't a smart one nor was allowing Seth to be anywhere near her. She remembered exactly what had happened between them and it made her stomach coil with the thought of admitting that it had. Despite all of that, there was a side to Seth that she had never seen before. A softer, much less of a dick side that didn't want to hurt her.

She remembered him telling her that he didn't hate her. Somehow it seemed like a lie, because of all the physical abuse he had laid upon her in the past; but there was a part of her that wanted to believe him. Sitting up from the pillow, Aria could see her state of dress Seth had left her in several hours before hand. Once she made it to the bathroom, her stomach retched and she vomited directly into the toilet.

After her stomach stopped convulsing, she finally was starting to feel better. No matter what she wanted, she couldn't ignore the fact that things happened between her and Seth. They were going to have to talk about it and she was inevitably going to have to tell Roman and Randy about it. There was doubt in her mind that what happened would ruin her bond with both men. She envisioned them not wanting anything else to do with her. To be honest, she couldn't blame them for it either.

Brushing her teeth, she got a hot shower to ease the tense muscles in her entire body. The large bruise on her left side was starting the swell up again. She had forgotten to take the pain killer before she went to sleep. Stepping out of the shower, she wrapped a large towel around herself. Aria walked out of the bathroom feeling slightly refreshed.

Randy stood outside Aria's hotel room door. He wanted to know why she had ignored all of his text messages the day before. He had heard that she had avoided everyone at the arena, including Paige. It wasn't like her to be so evasive of Paige. Lifting his hand up, he formed a fist and connected with the door in a loud knock.

Aria opened the door with a solemn look upon her face. Her eyes connected with his for a moment before cowering away from him. Her actions surprised him. He questioned what could make her act that way. Randy made no move to take hold of her, which relieved her because she felt like she didn't deserve his touch.

"Aria, what is the matter with you. You completely ignored me all day yesterday and I hear that you didn't talk to Paige either."

"I'm sorry. I am. I just wanted space from all of you. Finding out my mom has cancer just didn't sit well with me. It still hasn't."

"I can understand that; but you could have just said you wanted to be left alone."

Looking back up from the floor to make eye contact with him, he could see the tears forming in her eyes. He had a feeling that there was more to it than what she had said. Now he caved, by reaching out to take hold of her hands. His warmth was inviting and it made her want to forget that yesterday even happened; but she couldn't do that no matter how much she wanted to.

"Let me inside and we can talk...please..." He offered.

Without saying a word, she stepped aside to allow him entrance to her room. The tears rolled down her cheeks. The fear of loosing Randy was very real in that moment. Quickly wiping the tears away, she turned back around after closing the door. He sat down on the sofa looking around at all the mess that didn't seem like her either.

"Aria...you know that you can always come to me, right?" He asked.

"Randy, after Alayna told me our mother has cancer...I literally felt numb. I appreciate the fact that you comforted me; but you would have never known I was there if Roman hadn't told you."

"So you think I was there because he told me to be? Aria, that's not true. I was there because I wanted to be. So what, if Roman told me. I didn't hesitate even for a second when I knew that you needed me."

Aria felt her heart race upon hearing his words. She leaned against the separating wall behind her to keep her legs from giving out. It was time to come clean about everything. The injury and about Seth. Tears continued to burn the corners of her eyes. Randy looked at her, puzzled as to why she was crying. "Thank you for that; but it isn't just my mother. On Raw, I landed on Dolph's elbow directly in the ribs. The 450 on Paige after didn't help. I didn't want to tell anyone about it, because I didn't want Steph or Hunter to look down upon me."

"You really should have gotten it checked out. They know how talented you are and it wouldn't have mattered."

"I got it looked at yesterday. It's just bruised; but I felt like I couldn't trust anyone with it and not tell the higher ups about it; so I took Alayna with me."

Randy smiled, chuckling at her utter stubbornness. It really shouldn't have surprised him to know that she would do something like that. She was so worried about what the company thought of her and he did like that about her. It meant that she would never slack off and would always want to get better. "I wouldn't have said anything. Just so you know." He stated.

"There is something else you should know."

"What's that?"

"I went out last night..."

"So...there is no rule that you can't go out when you want to." Randy said not understanding what she was getting out.

"Something happened with Seth..."

That was all she could say without bursting into tears. Randy put the mess in the room and her words together. He realized what she was trying to say. He felt like there was a large weight on his heart, choking him. Looking at her tear stricken face, he saw the pupil dilation in her eyes. Standing up from the sofa, he took the few steps needed to close the distance between them. "Were you drinking last night?" He asked.

"Randy..." She tried to interrupt.

"Were you drunk, Aria?" He asked again.

"Yes..."

The anger swelled when he thought of Seth touching her intimately. She wasn't a pawn in a game he was scheming. She was a human being that had feelings. True emotions that he loved to see everyday. Aria could see how the atmosphere changed. Randy was now silent. The anger obviously on his face; but whether it was at her, she didn't know. "I didn't have sex with him. He stopped before it went that far."

"He took advantage of you. I'm not going to just let that go. I care too damn much about you to let it go."

Once again, his words made her heart race. He actually admitted to caring about her. Randy cupped the side of her face, brushing the pad of his thumb across her bottom lip. Her tears ran dry as she wrapped her around his neck. He held onto her tightly. "Please not do anything stupid. Let me talk to Seth. It should come from me anyway."

"I can't just let it go."

"I'm not asking you to. I'm simply asking you not to beat the living hell out of him."

Randy laughed at her statement. She definitely knew him, because that was exactly what he wanted to do. Releasing Aria from his arms, he took several steps back. He did want to kiss her; but she seemed to fragile to put anymore weight on her. He was happy to know that she came clean about everything that had been bothering her. "Are you going to tell Roman about Seth?" He asked stopping at the door.

"Yeah, he deserves to know about it to. I'll be telling Paige as well."

"Okay...I'm glad you told me, despite the crappiness of it all."

"I'm just glad you don't hate me."

Fighting to urge to kiss her lips, he opted to just place a friendly peck to her soft cheek. "I could never hate you." He stated before opening the door. Shifting his head back, he came face to face with Roman. The sight of him was ironic. Aria must have ignored him all day as well.

"Looks like we had the same idea." He suggested with a grin.

"Guess so..." Roman replied unimpressed with what he saw.

Randy looked back towards Aria for any indication that she wanted him to stay. She gave him a smile, letting him know that she would be just fine. He hesitantly started down the hall leaving Roman alone with the woman he wanted more than anything. He knew that the choice had to come from her heart, not from persuasion.

Roman looked Aria dead in the eyes. Her fear was radiating from the pools of her irises. He wondered what she had to fear from him. Aria stepped aside to allow inside the room. She figured karma was biting her in the ass for lying to two of the sweetest people she had ever known. Randy may have forgiven her; but who's to say that Roman would? He seemed like he would take things a little more personal than Randy did.

"I'm not going to even ask what that was." Roman stated pointing towards the door.

"He came to check on me. Obviously, it was the same thing you are doing now." Aria replied crossing her arms over her chest, not liking his tone of voice.

His hardened expression softened. He really couldn't blame Randy for doing that, considering all that happened over the last two days. Letting out a sigh, he ran a hand through his long locks. "I'm sorry. I've been really worried about you. Your behavior yesterday was so unlike you."

"I just wanted to be left alone. I was hiding an injury that I was going to have looked at by someone outside of the company. I didn't trust anyone not to tell the higher ups."

"What injury?"

Aria really didn't feel like explaining it all over again, so she simply lifted the hem of her shirt. Roman was instantly drawn the large dark blotch on her flawless skin and the swollen lump around it. He was hurt in the fact that she didn't trust him enough to share that with him. "How did that happen?" He wondered.

"Landed on Dolph's elbow on Raw when I did that suicide dive from the top rope."

"Damn...are your ribs broken?"

"No, thank god. It's a good thing I won't be wrestling for a while. I'll have time to heal."

He nodded his head while slipping his fingers through hers. His touch was comforting; but she had yet to get to the worst part of the talk she needed to have with him. The fear of loosing him was heavy on her heart just as it had been with Randy. "Look...Roman...there is something else you should know."

"And what's that?"

"I went out last night...and...something happened between Seth and I..."

Roman immediately let go of her hand. The dejected look on his face broke her heart. The familiar burning sensation in her eyes brought the taste of tears to her lips. It came as no surprise that she would cry again after repeating the same horrible incident to someone else she cared deeply for. Paige would be next. "I didn't have sex with him. He stopped it before it got that far. Guilty conscious I guess." She admitted.

"Doesn't hurt any less. How could you let him touch you after what he's done to you in the past?"

His words were like a knife to the chest. He really thought that she intentionally let Seth touch her places that were so very intimate. A burst of anger consumed her sorrow. "I was upset and very drunk. I would never dream of sleeping with someone who physically hit me on multiple occasions in the past." She snapped.

Roman took in what she said. Realizing that Seth had taken advantage of a drunk woman. No wonder he had a guilty conscious and couldn't go through with his intentions. He watched as Aria wiped her tears away with her fingers. He already wanted to beat Seth into nothing and watching her crying was only further increasing those feelings. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have assumed without hearing everything." He apologized.

"I had assumed that neither you nor Randy would want anything to do with me after I confessed that."

"Well you thought wrong. We aren't going anywhere. In fact, Randy's probably on his way to beat the shit out of Seth as we speak. Damn him, I wanted a shot or two in there."

"I asked him not to and I ask the same of you. Let me talk to him. I need to confront him."

He by no means liked the idea; but he agreed, allowing her to do when she needed to do. She wanted to handle to the problem on her own. Pulling her into an embrace, he held onto her tightly. Wanting nothing more than to comfort her. His hair fell over his shoulder, falling into her face. The scent of his hair waved under her nose. It gave her fingers the itch to run them through it. "So are you mad at me?" She questioned.

"No; but I really do want to punch Seth."

Aria giggled against his chest. She knew that it really wasn't a laughing matter; but the urge was too much to ignore. Pulling away from him, she felt her phone vibrate against her thigh. Roman smiled as he leaned down to place his warm lips on her forehead. "I will say this though, I'll give you until after fast lane to talk to the prick or I'm going to."

"Don't worry. I'll be talking to him before the show even starts."

"Fair enough..."

He shifted and walked several steps towards the door. Aria watched at he left her alone with a million different thoughts. Although she was happy that both of them didn't hate her after what happened with Seth, she still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more to Seth's actions than just taking advantage of a drunk girl.

Aria pulled her phone out of her pocket and saw a number she didn't recognize on the large screen. Sliding her finger against the glass, the message opened automatically. _**"I think we should talk about what happened last night. Can we meet somewhere? Please"**_ The message read. She knew who it was from. Did she really want to talk about it right then? Considering Roman's ultimatum, she figured it was best to get it over with.

"_**Yeah. How about my car in ten minutes? We will just drive and talk."**_

"_**I'll be down soon."**_

She really didn't see the harm in the drive and talk sequence. Hopefully it was the best way. He couldn't attempt anything while driving, unless he wanted to kill himself along with her. Swallowing the hard lump in her throat, she grabbed her handbag and left the hotel room with keys in hand.

**End Note: Okay, now I didn't officially name Seth a love interest; but I kind of left it open to the possibility. So how many of you would actually want to see that, even if he isn't who she ends up with?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Author Note: I'd like to thank Lilygirl95, ShaqGaddy, and Guest for the reviews. I appreciate your opinions. I've taken all of them seriously. I hope you all will enjoy this next chapter. The decision regarding Seth's interest in Aria will be revealed and also a little bit of Aria's NXT past will make an appearance. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 13: Unglued

Aria made it down to her rental. Her stomach was all in knots. She had no idea what Seth would actually say to her. The memory of his lips upon hers was seared right into her mind. Tapping her fingertips on the top of the car, she thought back on the conversations with both Roman and Randy. Both men forgave her; but both wanted to beat the hell out of the culprit. Hopefully, her asking would keep them from doing something utterly stupid.

"Aria..." Seth called.

"Hi..." She replied turning to face him.

The look on his face was unreadable. There was something about him that seemed off to her. Was he sorry for what what happened? She hoped that was case. The real question was, would she forgive him for taking advantage of her drunken state? Seth pulled his hair back out of his face and slipped it into a low ponytail.

"Get in..." She stated opening her car door.

Without any hesitation at all, Seth opened the passenger door and sat down. He watched her pull out her phone and hook the bottom to a cord connecting to the stereo. The song 'Third Day of a Seven Day Binge' by Marilyn Manson started up. He had already knew what she listened to from the days in NXT they shared.

Aria wasn't really trying to make it hard for him to speak; but she needed something to calm her nerves. She had never been in a position like she was now. Having feelings for two men was complicated enough; but damn near sleeping with their bitter enemy only made it worse. He was also enemy to her. He had done so many horrible things to her that she couldn't just forgive, even if he was saying that he was a changed man.

She shifted into reverse and pulled out the parking spot before putting the car into drive then out onto the two lane street. Seth felt slightly uncomfortable being next to her. Her sober appearance was difficult to ignore. She really was beautiful; but not the woman he wanted, nor was he the man she wanted.

"I really shouldn't have kissed you last night. I shouldn't have done anything except take you back to the hotel." He started to explain.

"Did you honestly think under any other circumstances I would want you? You've done a lot of shitty things to me in the past. I haven't forgotten any of them."

He swallowed again. She wasn't making the apology easy. The past was hard to deal with considering he was the giver of such nasty comments aimed in her direction. Aria signaled right and took a completely different street. "I know. I'm trying to apologize to you for everything and you're bringing up the past."

"You know what you've showed me after last night?"

"What?"

"That you haven't changed at all. You still hate me because you can't have me. You had to take advantage of me in a depressed drunken state to get anywhere near what you wanted."

Aria turned back down the same street and pulled back into the parking garage of the hotel. Seth was seeing red at that point. Her accusation was ludicrous in his mind; but he could see where she would get it from. He never gave her a reason to trust him. "That is not true. I am not the same person I was back then."

"No?"

She swiftly turned her head in his direction. The tears were burning the corners of her eyes again. Seth could see them. He'd have to be blind not to. Aria opened the car door, trying to get fresh air. He followed suit moments later. He walked around the car and stood before her. "I really am sorry about what happened. I'm trying to show you that I'm different."

"You have a funny way of showing it." She commented with an annoyed tone of voice.

He took a step closer to her. The fear was starting to show on her face and he instantly noticed. Letting out a sigh, he knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere with her if she was afraid of him. Her ocean blue eyes sparkled against the lighting of the garage, leaving her with an ethereal look about her. Not caring, he reached out for her hand. "I'm trying, Aria. I'm really not that same person you grew to fear and hate in NXT."

"Then maybe you shouldn't have pushed the limits while I was drunk."

"Now you're just being a bitch. I said I was sorry. And I did stop it before we actually had sex."

Being called a bitch didn't sit well with Aria. She clenched her hands into fists at her side, channeling anger. It was then that she realized that it was a bad idea to even think that he could be anything other than a heartless prick. "You... can go to hell." She stated and started to walk away.

He reached out and took a firm hold on her arm, not allowing her walk away. Aria jerked her hand across his face. The echo of the slap moved throughout the entire garage. A red splotch started to appear on his face. The anger swelled deep within him, urging him to retaliate against her. His grip tightened, digging his fingers into her flesh. "Let go of me, Seth." She ordered through clenched teeth.

She met his gaze and the look in his eyes made her shiver in fear. It was the same look he had given her multiple times in the past. Seth jerked hard on her arm, tossing her back first into her rental. She was surprised the car alarm didn't start up from the impact. It slightly took her breath away when her back hit the corner of the side mirror. Her ribs screamed in pain.

"You will always be a bitch, not knowing what's good right in front of her." He stated hovering his mouth over hers.

"How is this good?" She whimpered.

A sly smile covered his lips, spreading her fear even further. It wouldn't matter if she screamed, no one would hear her. If she told Stephanie about anything, she'd dismiss it as lies against the so-called future of the business. All she could do was hope that he wouldn't really hurt her anymore than he already did.

"I tried to apologize and you threw it back in my face."

"It's because I don't believe you."

Aria shifted her body, striking her knee into his abdomen. He hunched over, groaning in pain; but she still couldn't get away from him. His warm breath brushed over her bare neck as his rumbles of laughter vibrated against her chest. Reaching up behind her head, he took a handful of her hair and yanked hard. Aria was forced even further against her rental. "You may just regret hitting me, Aria." He warned.

"She won't be regretting anything." A warm familiar voice stated.

Seth let go of her, turning to see who was interrupting him. Another smile curved his lips. He expected it to be Roman or Randy to the rescue; but this man was not at all who he expected. It was a face he hadn't seen in a long time. It made him question just how many protectors did the woman really have. "Adrian..." Aria whispered.

The former NXT Champion, Adrian Neville, stood before them. The intense stare was enough for Seth to back down for the time being. He raised his hands up innocently, then he slowly started to back away in the opposite direction. Aria couldn't believe that he backed away that easily; but was thankful that he had. Her ribs were pulsing with pain just as her entire body shook with adrenaline. "Are you okay?" He asked with his heavy British accent.

"Yeah...I'm okay..." She muttered softly.

Adrian stared at her, not really believing that she was okay. He had known her long enough to know when she was lying. He wasn't going to lie and say that it wasn't good to see her, because it definitely was; but he wished that it had been under better circumstances. As he could tell, things really hadn't changed much with Seth. He was still mentally and physically tormenting Aria for whatever reasons he could come up with.

"So why are you here? Shouldn't you being in Florida?" Aria asked.

"I'm doing some main roster dark matches." He replied.

"Really? That's awesome."

Aria really couldn't believe that he was standing there. His long hair was pulled back into a small tight bun behind his head. He wore loose fitted jeans and a simple hunter green t-shirt. She wasn't going to complain about his timing, because it had been the perfect time for him to show up. She had no idea what Seth would have done otherwise. What was worse, she had to suck it up and play the onscreen girlfriend at Fastlane.

"Aria, as much as I'm glad to see you...I know that you aren't okay." He stated taking hold of her shaking hands into his own.

She tried to laugh the situation off; but it ended up in a burst of tears. Letting herself think that Seth could change was probably the worst decision she had ever made in her twenty-seven years of life. Adrian held her against him, not knowing what else to do. It was actually the first time he had seen, with his own eyes, Seth's violent behavior towards her. "Is there anyone you want me to walk you to?" He asked softly.

"I really don't want to involve anyone."

"Aria, this can't go on anymore. Seth needs to be punished for this. You need to say something."

Shaking her head, she pushed herself away from Adrian. Her make-up was running down her cheeks in black streaks. He brushed his thumbs across her cheeks, removing the black streaks from her skin. Sniffling her tears down, she did everything in her power to suppress them. It was the worse reunion in history. "Come on, don't be stubborn. Is there someone?" He asked again walking beside her.

"It's complicated. My life is such chaos right now, because I want to see them both; so can you just walk me to my room?"

"Yeah..."

Adrian had no idea what to say to her. He wanted to know what she meant by wanting to see both of them. Was there more than one person she had an interest in? The walk back to her hotel room was spent in utter silence; but seeing Paige outside her door made the tension even more thicker than before. "Aria, what happened?" She asked seeing the red marks on her arm from Seth's tight grip.

"Seth happened..." Was all Aria said before walking into her room.

Paige and Adrian exchange a short glance before following her. The door closed on its own just as Paige stepped through. Aria ignored the fact that they were still there and proceeded to lay down on the large bed in the back of the room. Looking up at the alarm clock, she sighed upon seeing the 11:00 PM time.

The sounds of her muffled cries were gut retching for both Paige and Adrian. They had seen her before in this state and it weighed heavily on her both mentally and physically. Paige watched as her fellow countryman sat down on a barstool by the door. "What the hell happened out there?" She asked keeping her voice in a hushed whisper.

"Seth snapped. Looked a little more personal this time."

Paige pulled her legs up close to her chest as she turned to look back at her best friend. Her muffled cries were gone, only to be replaced by sound of her breathing. Noting that Aria was asleep, she pulled out her phone. There was two people that needed to know what happened and maybe one of them could convince her to finally say something to the higher ups. _**"Come to Aria's room. She's asleep so please be quiet. Something happened."**_ She typed and sent it to both Roman and Randy.

"Who did you just text?" Adrian asked.

"The only two people she seems to listen to...Roman Reigns and Randy Orton."

Adrian finally understood what Aria had meant when she said that she wanted to see them both. She had been talking about Randy Orton and Roman Reigns. He reached behind his head and tugged on the rubber band that held his hair up into the bun. It was giving him a headache. His long hair fell down to his shoulders, some of the strands fell into his dark eyes. "I figured the asshole learned his lesson the first time." He commented.

"Obviously not...it just got worse..."

"How could it get worse than him hitting her?"

Paige turned to look at the sleeping Aria across the room. Aria didn't know that Roman had come to her with what happened between her and Seth. He was completely distraught over the whole thing. All he wanted to do was leave Seth in a pool of his own blood. If she told Adrian what happen, the same thing would happen. His usually calm demeanor would be shattered into rage. He had always been protective of Aria since day one.

"He took advantage of her being drunk last night. From what I understand, he didn't have sex with her; but it was close." Paige admitted.

She looked at him, hoping that he wouldn't snap. His hands clenched the edges of the barstool until his knuckles turned white. A soft knock came from outside the door. Paige quickly opened the door to see both Randy and Roman standing there. It was surprising to see them not trying to out-do the other in hopes of winning Aria's heart. "What's going on?" Roman asked not even noticing Adrian sitting there.

"What's he doing here?" Randy asked.

"Adrian is a good friend. He's the one who just saved Aria from Seth's wrath." Paige replied.

Both men froze. There was no need to hide the anger they felt. It was clearly written all over their faces. Adrian studied both of them, wondering which one actually cared for her; but as it would seem, they both seemed to genuinely care for her. "Did he hit her?" Roman asked.

"No; but if I hadn't shown up, he would have. She will definitely have bruises on her arm though from his grip."

"Thank you for stepping in..." Randy said turning his head to look at Aria asleep in the bed.

"No need to thank me, she's probably the closest friend I have. I'll never let anything happen to her, if it's within my power to help it."

Roman understood his loyalty to her, because he felt it himself; but as of late, he's been letting her down. He planned to rectify that as soon as he was able to. With Seth putting his hands on her again, he had other things on his mind than just wanting her to be his. Randy sat down next to Paige and moved both of his hands over his head. "You guys really need to convince her to tell the higher ups about this. She won't listen to me or Adrian...we've tried multiple times in the past." Paige suggested.

"I doubt Stephanie or Hunter will believe her. Seth is so far up their asses that they are completely blind to everything he does." Randy countered.

"Maybe you should talk to them. You've been on their good side for a good long time. Maybe they will listen to you." Roman suggested.

Randy hated to do something Roman asked him to do; but it wasn't for him, it was for Aria. And for her, he's do anything. Fastlane was the perfect moment to talk to them. He lifted his head up to look at the newcomer in the corner. His gaze was fixed on Aria's sleeping form. He recognized the intense protective stares. The man was clearly seeing red in that moment. He could relate.

"Roman, could you try and talk to her. I think she may listen to you above anyone else."

"I don't know about that. I've been making a mess of things as of late; but I'll try."

"What are you two going to do?" Randy asked.

Paige looked at the other man in the room. She knew that Adrian wouldn't leave Aria if something was seriously wrong. It was a good thing that he would be doing some dark matches on the main roster shows. It would mean another set of eyes to watch her. "I get that you two have feelings for her; but I'm not going to leave her high and dry while you two inevitably will fight over what's best for her." Adrian commented harshly.

"Who the hell do you think you?" Randy snapped.

"No, don't. Randy, trust me...Aria will side with Adrian in any fight. They have a friendship that can never be broken."

Randy and Roman looked over at the smaller man still seated on the barstool. They both wondered why they have never heard of their friendship before now. Was it because he was still in NXT and it brought back memories she didn't want to think about? "Then why don't you want her...if your friendship is so unbreakable?" Roman taunted.

"We are better friends. Doesn't mean that I don't love her. We trained in the same place, debuted at the same time, and traveled together. We just formed a friendship that was unlike any other. Who do you think taught her all those aerial techniques?" Adrian answered with his own taunts.

"Fair enough..." Randy stated standing up from his seat next to Paige.

He had had enough of being in the same room with Roman. All he really wanted to do was sit down next to Aria, run a hand through her hair, kiss her lips, and hold her for as long as she allowed. Paige gave his hand a gentle squeeze as he walked away. She could tell that he was uncomfortable with everything that was happening around him. It was hard not to be when Aria had created a chaotic chain of events. She wished that she would just decide on someone or just let them both go. It was hard to watch them suffer because of her unrealistic choices.

It wasn't long after Randy left that Roman did. Not being able to comfort her then and there was hard on him, just as it was on Randy. Seth's outburst would most definitely have an effect on her now. What that effect would be, she had no idea; but it wouldn't be long before they all found out. Adrian took Paige by the hand and escorted her out of them room, letting the door lock behind them.

"Do you trust them to be around her?" He asked.

"Oh yeah, they would never hurt her intentionally; but she's created a war. She really needs to make up her mind or just let them go. It's not fair to them."

"Have you talked to her about that?"

"I will be..."

He smiled, thanking whoever that he wasn't going to have to talk to her about that. He particularly didn't enjoy talking about relationships with her, even when he was dating a girl back in their independent circuit days. Adrian leaned in a gave Paige a slight peck to her cheek. Giving her arm a gentle squeeze, she watched him walk away. Fastlane was going to be the day where everyone talks to someone. She didn't know if she could wait that long. Paige hated to see Randy and Roman so miserable. It really wasn't fair to them at all.


	14. Chapter 14

**Author Note: Thanks goes to sarah-bellona-hiddlestoner for becoming a follower to this story. Thanks also goes to Guest and Leasha Orton for the awesome reviews. Well readers it is officially time for the choice to be made. There will be a couple of flashbacks and by the end of this chapter you will know who she wants. Hopefully you all will enjoy reading this new chapter. Lyrics from the song 'Beautiful With You' by Halestorm will be present. Let me know what you think.**

Chapter 14: Beautiful With You

Aria drove down the freeway, music blaring. The rain pounded against the windshield, causing ripples as the droplets hit the glass. It was only five hours away from the newest pay-per-view, Fastlane. Her mind was a chaotic mess. The image of Seth pinning her against the car, with his hand pulling on her hair was imbedded behind her eyes. His eyes were so full of rage. Rage she couldn't understand.

Adrian had been a life saver. His comforting presence was more than enough to her through the rough patch, despite his pleas for her to speak up about the abuse. Paige was no better; but with her, it was all about making a choice. The choice she dreaded making. She had been stringing both Randy and Roman on for far too long and she knew that. How could she just pick someone when they both showed her affection like no one in the past had ever shown her.

"What am I going to do?" She asked herself changing the song that was currently playing.

The song 'Beautiful With You' by Halestorm started up and it made her freeze. The words flowed off her tongue unconsciously, not understanding why her mouth moved along. The rain lightened up and the sun was trying to peak through the clouds over the horizon. It really was a beautiful sight.

_**I stare at the girl in the mirror**_

_**T-shirt, torn-up jeans, no beauty queen**_

_**But the way that you see me**_

_**You get underneath me**_

_**And all my defenses just fall away**_

_**Fall away**_

Her mind went back to the day she met Roman.

**October 21, 2014**

_Aria stood outside the performance center in a baggy t-shirt and a pair of torn-up jeans. It was her first day back since her prior ankle injury. Pulling the door open, her eyes made contact with a new face. It really wasn't a new face, because she had seen him a hundred times on TV; but a new face to the performance center._

_ Roman stopped pulling the weights towards him the second he saw her. Her chocolate and crimson hair flowed over her shoulders in large open waves. Her eyes were the purest shade of blue he had ever seen on a woman. His eyes followed her as she weaved through the gym. He watched her sit her bag on the floor next to Becky Lynch. "Did you see that we've got a new face in the building?" She asked not realizing that he could hear them._

"_Yup, are you going to try your Irish charm on him?" Aria asked with a chuckle._

"_No...I've got eyes for a different man around here."_

_ Aria smiled, already knowing who she was talking about. It was none other than their fellow countryman, Finn Bálor. A shiver ran up her spine randomly and it made her look around cautiously, catching Roman's eyes still lingering on her. She smiled as she lifted up on her t-shirt, revealing the top to her workout gear. Black and lime green entwined the sports bra like top, showing off her toned stomach matched with a sparkling belly piercing._

_ Roman couldn't help but stare at her. She was so captivating. He moved away from the machine and grabbed his hand towel. Moving it across his face, he saw her remove her pants. She bent over pulling the pant-legs away from her lush tanned skin. He wondered what her name was. Not thinking twice about it, he started to walk in her direction._

"_Hi..." He greeted._

"_Hi..." She replied with a thick Irish accent._

_ He smiled upon hearing it up close and personal. It was beyond sexy. She moved towards a machine that would work on her upper body, mostly her arms and shoulders. Setting the weight to her liking, she shifted to sit down in the seat. Roman noticed the weight on set and was amazed by the amount. Watching her arms bulge with muscle, he was instantly impressed. "My name is Roman. I already introduced myself to everyone else, so I figured I'd come introduce myself to you." He stated hovering over her head._

_ Aria looked up at him, looking into his jade colored eyes. His smile was breathtaking, absolutely perfect. Allowing the weights to drop from her hands, she stood up to come only inches away from his sculptured body. "Aria Connors, nice to meet you." She replied extending her hand out to him._

"_Likewise..."_

_ He accepted her handshake only to feel the sudden spark he hadn't expected to feel. There was no doubt in his mind that the woman before him would be someone special to him in due time. She pulled her hand away from his with a wink of her eye. His smile was something she wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon. Going back to their own workouts, the meeting was brief; but there was a spark that neither could deny._

**Present Time**

A smile curved at her lips thinking back on that day. She was surprised that she had forgotten all about it. The heat on her cheeks were clearly visible in the rear view mirror. The forgotten feelings she had that day came crashing right back into her heart. Thankfully she was traveling alone, she doubted that she'd want to explain what was going on inside her mind.

_**I am beautiful with you**_

_**Even in the darkest part of me**_

_**I am beautiful with you**_

_**Make it feel the way it's supposed to be**_

_**You're here with me**_

_**Just show me this and I'll believe**_

_**I am beautiful with you**_

Turning into the parking garage of the arena, warm tears rolled down her heated cheeks. The words of the song continued to bring up memories she thought she had forgotten. After weeks of getting to know Roman, she considered him a good friend. She had shared personal things with him, even family drama that plagued her. The last day Roman would spend in the performance center Aria had received another heartbreaking message from her mother about her sister.

**December 8, 2014**

_Aria threw her bag against the wall, letting out a frustrated scream. Both Becky Lynch and Adrian Neville were inside the ring working on new in-ring moves. Neither knew of the heartbreak she was feeling. Her mother had called relaying another message from her sister, stating that she still wasn't going to speak to her. The piece of information was hard to swallow._

"_Aria, hey...calm down..." Roman soothed taking hold of her hands._

"_I don't know why I let her get to me so bad..." Aria cried._

"_Alayna?"_

_ She didn't have to answer his question. The look on her face was plenty of an answer for him to understand. He brushed his thumb across her knuckles, trying to be as comforting as possible. With his free hand, he lifted her head up by a fingertip under the chin. Seeing her in a dark place with so much despair only made him want to be there for her even more. _

"_Everything will be fine. Just move forward with your life. You still have your parents and that's more than some can say. I believe that someday your sister will come around to the fact that your a WWE Diva now and a fantastic athlete." He assured._

"_You flatter me; but it's not necessary."_

"_Like hell it's not. Aria, you are fantastic in the ring. I've watched you a lot over these past few weeks. The things you can do is so different than any other woman I've seen in the past."_

_ Her smile broke through the sorrow she was feeling. His words were everything she'd hoped they be. Comforting and encouraging. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders, giving it a gentle squeeze before placing his lips on the top of her head. The simple gesture caught her off guard. She almost thought that maybe he had developed feelings for her. That wasn't the case; otherwise, he would have said something by now._

"_So what do you want to do, since this is your last day down here." She asked picking her bag back up from the floor._

"_I'd like to just hang with you if that's okay?" _

_ That little statement made her heart skip an entire beat. She never expected him to want to hang out with her on his last day in the NXT world. Walking next to him, she wondered what would happen once he was no longer there. Would they still be friends? Would they still keep in contact? Would he forget she even existed? There were so many questions that she wanted answered; but she never had the nerve to ask._

**Present Time**

She may have never asked those questions; but she knew the answers to them now. They were more than just typical friend. Their lips have touched in an amazing heart stopping kiss a month before now. There was always the fact that he never left her side once she debuted on the main roster. He had proved that he really wanted to be with her.

Randy may have sparked so many feelings deep within her; but remembering all those moments back in NXT with Roman, she couldn't ignore those feelings anymore. What more could she do than to let Randy go? It wasn't fair to him, especially when he could have been looking for the right girl in all those time she took advantage of his kindness.

"I really am a bitch..." She whispered to herself before getting out her car.

The walk towards the arena felt like an eternity; but it gave her time to figure out exactly what she was going to say to both Roman and Randy. Inside the building, the crews were busy getting the last minute changes ready for the show. Weaving through the throb of people, she continued on towards the locker-room that would be Roman's.

"Aria..." Paige's warm voice washed over her, interrupting her thought process.

"Hey..."

"I'm sorry for being pushy over the last few days. I just hate to see them so miserable."

"I understand. It's okay, I'm not upset."

Aria looked at her best friend. The facial expression she had was something different than she was used to. Her eyes were puffy and swollen, like she had been crying over something. "Is everything okay, you seem upset?"

"I've figured out just how much men suck."

"What happened?"

More tears dripped from her long lashes. Aria reached out for her and held onto her tightly. Paige took hold of Aria's shirt into her hand. Looking over her shoulder, she could see Adrian making his way towards them. A concerned look was present on his face. His hair was left down, laying across his shoulder in wet waves. "I'm so tired of these fake plastic women." She cried.

"Which one did he go for? Do I need to kick his ass?" Aria asked.

"Freaking Summer Rae! I'm so much prettier than she is damnit!"

"Yes, you are. Don't let him get you down." Adrian inserted.

Paige lifted her head up from Aria's shoulder, looking at her fellow countryman in the eyes. It was the first time both women have ever heard him compliment a woman in over a year. Aria could see a twinge of anger flash in his dark eyes. Was his upset that Paige was hurt? Or was it something else entirely. "He's right. Don't let him get your down. You are the most beautiful woman I know. Any man would be lucky to have you."

"Thanks guys..."

Aria had an off feeling that Adrian would say something to Dolph about hurting Paige. She let the ebony haired diva out of her arms and proceeded to walk towards Adrian. Gently touching his arm, she whispered..."Don't do anything stupid. Just comfort her." before walking the rest of the way down the hall in pursuit of Roman.

Turning the corner, she saw him walking into his locker-room. A smile tried to make its way to her lips, but another person standing at the end of the hall made her shake in fear. Seth Rollins was talking to some of the stage crew, going on like everything was okay in his world. Like he hadn't come close to beating her down in the hotel parking garage just days prior.

Swallowing hard, she gathering enough courage to just walk twenty feet in front of her. Her hand balled into a fist before pounding it against the metal door. Within in seconds, Roman answered. His hair was pulled into a low ponytail and dressed in loose fitted jeans and a simple black t-shirt with a leather coat over top.

"Hey..." He greeted.

"Can I talk to you?" She asked.

"Of course, there is something I want to talk to you about as well."

He stepped aside, allowing her inside the spacious room. She ran a hand through her crimson hair before turning around to face him. Her palms were sweaty and her heart was beating so fast, she thought she'd pass out. "If your going to try to convince me to tell the higher-ups about Seth, don't. Seth is pretty much immune. They believe nothing anyone says about him. I've been watching them with him for a while now." She stated.

"Aria, you can't let it continue."

"It won't. I'm well aware of what he's capable of now. He won't surprise me anymore."

Roman ran a hand over his head, not understanding her stubborn behavior. It was quite frustrating. All he wanted to do was convince to say something. Let people know what their golden boy was really like. Looking back towards her, he watched her fumble with her hands. It was something she did when she was nervous. "What are you so nervous about?" He asked.

"I'm not nervous." She countered.

"Yes you are, your fumbling with your hands. You always do that when your nervous."

It surprised her to know that he knew that much about her without even telling him anything. It meant that he had been paying that much attention to detail. Blinking several times, she finally forced herself to focus on telling him the truth. "Do you remember when we met?" She asked softly with a slight shake to her voice.

"Of course I do. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen."

"I was wearing the baggiest shirt and really ripped jeans, nothing beautiful about it."

"It didn't matter to me. The second you walked into the room, you caught my attention. You were beautiful then and you most certainly are now."

His confession didn't help her nervousness with the task at hand. Her legs were becoming wobbly, making it really hard to stand firm in her place. Roman watched as she started to walk closer to him. There was a different sense about her. Something was definitely on her mind. What it was, he had no idea. "I sat in a car driving for several hours today, just thinking about everything. Everything I've done in the past and in the present. There has been only person that's seen every side to me, even the darkest part and still stayed beside me."

"Aria..." Roman tried to interrupt her, having the feeling of dread come to the surface.

"And that person was you...it's always been you...I don't know how I even managed to get this far without realizing what I feel for you."

Roman was taken aback by her own confession. It was not what he was expecting. He had assumed that she would have been talking about Randy. His heart was pounding against his chest in anticipation. Wondering what she would say next. Restraining himself from touching her, he opted to just slip his hands into his pockets.

"I'm sorry for not realizing it sooner. I just didn't understand what I was feeling, until I heard a special song. It made me think back on all those moments we had before I debuted here. It made me realize that I had fallen in love with you somewhere along the way."

"Aria..." He whispered her name taking his hands back out of his pockets.

"I'm not going to hold back anymore...I know what I want..."

He took the last remaining steps to close the gap between them. His hand reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. She bit her bottom lip, leaving it slightly puffy and swollen. It left his imagination take over. "And what do you want?" He whispered leaning in closer to her face, hovering his lips over hers.

"You..." She whispered.

Within seconds, his lips captured hers. Forcing them into a world of sheer intensity. She grabbed his shirt into her hands as she felt his hands take hold of her hips. His ponytail fell over his shoulder, giving her the opportunity to tangle her fingers in his locks. Caressing his lips with her own, her tongue swiped against his. A low groan escaped his throat, enticing her to push further.

Weaving her free hand away from his shirt, she moved it down his stomach and pushed up his shirt to feel bare skin. The warmth under her fingertips only heated her own body. Much to her disappointment, Roman severed the lock of their lips. "You have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that." He stated breathlessly.

"I'm sorry I made you wait so long. I had to be sure what I was feeling before I said anything."

"I'm glad you told me."

"Me to..."

Roman pulled her into his welcoming arms. Sitting down, she snuggled her head into his chest. Despite feeling on top of the world, he knew that there was going to be some hardships heading in their direction soon enough. Randy would eventually know and neither knew how he would react. Seth would also want to ruin their happiness; but for the time being, they were going to enjoy the moment of pure bliss before the obstacles would be lain before them. "I'll never let anything happen to you, I promise." He whispered kissing her forehead.

"I know..." She replied holding onto him even tighter.


	15. Chapter 15

**Author Note: I'd like to thank Leasha Orton, XoxoShonKV, Guest, and KarmaJay for the reviews. I'd also like to thank reignsmyheartrocksmyworld, okaloosa, caitlynxox, and Pinayprincesa for becoming a follower to this story. I apologize if the choice wasn't what you wanted to see; but I do hope that you will continue to read it. I also started a new story called 'In My Veins', if your a Randy Orton fan check it out. This chapter will focus mainly on Roman/Aria and Randy's reaction.**

Chapter 15: Rocky Road

Roman continued to hold Aria in his embrace, not caring about anything else. She was finally where she belonged, in his arms. His lips pressed against the top of her head. He could feel her fingers trace lines up and down his chest, igniting a pool of desire within him. "Are you okay?" He asked softly moving his hand up her back.

"Yeah, I'm just worried about Randy. I honestly don't know how he will take this."

"If he's the friend he says he is, then he will still be there for you." He replied.

Aria pulled herself out of his embrace. There was nothing but longing in his jade eyes. At least, she had him if Randy decided to leave her high and dry; but there was still the aching need for him to still be there for her. It was the same with Adrian. If he ever decided he wanted nothing more to do with her, it would completely crush her. "You know...up until you actually said you wanted me, I really thought you were going to choose Randy. You seemed so different with him. He got through to you things when I couldn't." Roman admitted lowering his head, shying away from her gaze.

"He was fun to be around and I won't lie about the fact that it will hurt like hell if he wants nothing more to do with me."

"I seriously doubt he will abandon you. He hates Seth far too much to let him hurt you, because I know deep down he loves you."

Hearing him say that another man loved her, was a reality she didn't want to face. All she wanted to do was hide away in his locker-room and pretend that the world around her wasn't going to crumble before her very eyes. Roman wrapped an arm around her, pulled her onto his lap. His lips caressed her forehead, trying to comfort her the best way he could. She really believed that Randy would walk away and maybe that's exactly what he'd do; but he knew that his new girlfriend would be hurt if he did. "I need to go. I should probably tell him before the show starts. I'm not going to want to do it after and ruin the moment of his return to TV."

"Okay...just be careful. You just never know who's listening."

"I'll be fine. I'll meet you later."

He smiled and leaned in, capturing her lips with his own. The soft caress of her lips was more than enough to satisfy his worries of her changing her mind about him. They way she kissed him was completely different than the one they shared a month ago. It was full of emotion. A swipe of her tongue, made him crave more. It was a need that consumed him. Aria reached up, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Aria...you're...making it really hard to stop." He whispered against her moist lips.

"So don't..."

"Believe me...I will satisfy your needs soon enough; but I think we need to start with an actual date."

Separating herself from him, she looked up at him with her ocean eyes. He continued to surprise her with everything he said. A date with him was something she dreamed of back when she was a part of NXT. She reached up to touch the rough facial hair of his face. "I agree. I'm glad that you are someone that just doesn't want to get into my pants." She stated.

"Well...yeah...I want to be with you, through all of it."

"Thank you..."

He covered her hand with his, curling his fingers over her palm. Lowering their hands, she turned to walk out of the room. When the door closed behind her, her bottom lip quivered slightly. The hardest part of her night was still in her emanate future. Her legs started to move on their own, taking her to Randy's locker-room. His name hung on the door in large bold letters. She reached up to knock on the door, hesitating before actually making contact. "Aria..." His voice called.

"Oh...hey..." She replied turning to face him.

"What's up?" He asked wondering why she was seeking him out.

The look on her face was more than enough to understand that something happened. Guilt was written all over it. He watched her wipe her palms across the denim of her jeans. She was nervous about something. It gave him hope that maybe she had made her decision between himself and Roman. "There is something you need to know...I...uh...made my decision..." She started, stumbling over her words.

"Oh. Judging from the way you're talking, it seems that it isn't me."

"I can't forget about everything him and I shared before I even met you."

"No...I get it..."

He pushed passed her, attempting to open his locker-room door. The woman he had opened himself up to just slammed the door in his face. He felt betrayed. Alone. He didn't know if he could even face her after everything. "Randy, please..."

"What did you expect? That everything would be okay. I would just get over it. Pretend like you didn't just rip out my heart."

"No...I just...I just didn't want to loose you..."

Randy let out a sigh, and turned around to face her. Her eyes were glassy with pending tears. What was he going to do now that he was no longer needed? She had Roman, Paige, and Adrian to protect her from Seth. Where did that leave him? If he was going to say goodbye, he might as well do it the way he wanted to.

Within seconds, he took hold of her hand and pulled her to him. His lips were on hers a moment after that. She caved in, responding to his touch. If it his was way of saying goodbye to her, then who was she to deny him that? Maybe it would give herself closure as well. Soft touch after soft touch of lips against lips, he finally pulled away from her. The break meant he was finished with her. The knowledge hurt. A lot. "Please...don't..." She pleaded.

"You don't need me. Roman will take care of you. Plus you have Paige and Adrian on top of that."

"Please..."

"I can't...now please leave..."

The tears fell over her lashes, trickling down her cheeks. Her worst fear had just come to pass. She watched as he walked into his locker-room and slammed the door in her face. Taking several steps back, her sobs broke free. She didn't realize that Seth was only a few feet away from the whole conversation. He had heard everything and snickered quietly to himself. It was the perfect opportunity for him to take advantage of her despair.

"Aria, are you alright? You seem completely shattered." Seth stated closing the distance between them.

"Go away. I don't want you anywhere near me." She snapped walking passed him.

"Did you really think everything would go the way you hoped, when you did nothing but string them along for weeks."

She didn't want to listen to anything he had to say. Shaking her head, she continued on towards the junction between hallways. Seth took hold of her arm, tossing her into the wall. He pushed himself up against her, cupping her cheek with his palm. Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, out of fear and out of heartache. She lost someone dear to her and now Seth was taking his frustrations out on her.

"Let go of her now!" Adrian said pulling Seth's hand away from Aria's face.

"I'm going. I'll see you out there tonight, Aria."

The sly smile made her sick to her stomach. Adrian took a quick look over her, making sure he hadn't done anything to her. Her trembling body against him, worried him. What exactly happen to leave her in such an unguarded state? Wrapping his arms around her, Paige turned the corner. She knew just by seeing her best friend in Adrian's arms that something happened. "What's wrong?" She asked.

"I lost him..." Aria replied softly switching from his warm embrace to Paige's.

"Who?" She asked again, not understanding what she was talking about.

"Randy...I...I chose Roman..."

Paige looked at Adrian, both understanding what it meant. Aria had chosen Roman and Randy hadn't taken it well. Seth's appearance was not what she needed in that moment. What she needed was reassurance? Encouragement, that everything would be okay in the end. The look in Adrian eyes, sparked something within her. Maybe things weren't so black and white. Maybe things were right in front of her without even realizing it.

"Give him time. He's hurt. He cared a lot about you. Feelings like those just don't go away in a matter of seconds. Trust me, I would know." Paige admitted.

"I need to get ready for tonight..." Aria whispered walking away with her head hung low.

Adrian took a step closer to Paige. He was curious about her statement to their friend. It wasn't like her to bring up her own experiences. He could remember her claiming there was someone special in her heart; but never would say who it was. She never told anyone, not even Aria. "You know Randy may never accept it." He commented.

"I know; but she needs to have hope. Loosing his friendship hit her hard." She replied.

"Who were you talking about in your attempts to give her hope?"

Paige was caught off guard by his question. She really didn't want to think about the past. A past where she had feelings for him; but were remained unnoticed due to his feelings for Aria. Her history with dating was less than stellar. None of them ever worked out, including Dolph Ziggler who ditched her for a plastic woman. "Do you even have to ask?" She snapped.

"Actually, I do..."

"It was you; so if you don't mind, I have a match to prepare for..."

She stormed off, leaving Adrian with the mental image of what Paige really stated. She just confirmed that, in the past, she had feelings for him. The question now was, did she still? Because seeing her so agitated, sparked something within himself. Could he really take the plunge again? Risk his heart on another. Running a hand through his long wet hair, he smiled at the thought of it.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author Note: Well we are slowly coming to the end of the story. I'd like to thank Lilygirl95, Rbf2m, and Leasha Orton for the wonderful reviews. I'd also like to thank Lovezjacobblack for becoming a follower to this story. Sorry for the lack of update; but I've kind of got stuck with this story. So in the event of that, this will be the final chapter. I hope you all will enjoy it.**

Chapter 16: Happy Ending?

Aria stood next to the black curtain. Seth would be part of the opening match, so she had to be present There were so many things running through her mind. Most of them were about how Randy looked at her not that she had made her choice. His reaction hurt more than words could ever describe and Seth's continuous jabs at her were not helping. Dolph Ziggler, Ryback and Erick Rowan were already in the ring awaiting their opponents from The Authority.

"Are you okay?" Big Show asked her placing a large hand on her slender shoulder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm feeling good about doing something different; but at the same time...it's going to be hard..." She replied with guilt etching in her voice.

Big Show could understand what she meant, because he knew that the woman before him just lost someone close to her heart. A man that would be a part of the ending of the match. Despite his giant stature, he sympathized with her. He felt bad for her. A heart could only take so much before it completely shattered. Though, Roman would be the anchor for her. He would be the one to help her heal. He would be the one to support her thorough everything.

"If it's any consolation, I feel Seth is completely out of line with how he's been treating you."

"Thanks, I appreciate that..."

Seth turned the corner to see them in conversation. Clearing his throat, he interrupted the most sincere conversation between the most decent person in the Authority and the diva that continued to set herself apart from the rest. Her blue eyes bore into him. She could honestly say that she hated him. "What's the matter, Randy still ignoring you?" He asked in a chuckle.

'The Second Coming' started up and the group made their way out onto the stage. Aria ignored it all. All the boos she received wouldn't matter soon enough. Seth held onto her hand tightly. It was almost in a possessive manor. Swallowing down her hatred, she allowed him to kiss her lips before stepping into the ring with Big Show and Kane. J&amp;J Security stayed on the outside with her.

The match wasn't a very long one. It end with Seth picking up the win with his signature move the 'Curb Stomp'. He wasn't finished there. Ryback got to his knees; but as the so-called future attempted another curb stomp, Randy Orton's entrance music sounded.

The crowd screamed at his return. Kane and Big Show instantly went for Randy. Shifting his body away from the oncoming fury, Randy hit the RKO on Kane first then on Big Show. J&amp;J Security were next to cause the distraction so Seth could escape. Aria had other ideas. She rolled into the ring, sore ribs and all. Seth turned to run out of the ring only to be stopped by his girlfriend. Her lips curved into the widest smile.

Seth's eyes widened in shock when he realized that he had been played. Her hand connected with the side of his face. He stumbled back, bumping into the chest of Randy. The swift RKO was sudden and devastating. Aria stood over her former boyfriend's fallen body. Randy looked at her with a sly smile, holding out his hand to her.

Aria accepted his hand and was quickly pulled up against him. His lips found hers in a heated fury of passion. Seth rolled to the outside. He was helped up by Kane and Big Show just in time to see the public display of affection. The crowd behind them were in favor of the new pairing. They loved seeing Seth get what he deserved. His rival returned to wreck havoc on his life and his woman left him for that same man. What else could go wrong for Seth Rollins?

**After The Show**

Paige sat on a large equipment case sulking after another loss to Nikki Bella. She knew that it was supposed to happen; but she was getting frustrated with all the losses. She had no idea what to do to get her career on the right path. She wanted to talk to Aria about it; but knew that her best friend was going through her own rough patch in her career and it just got a little more stressful with the new alliance with Randy.

"Paige..." Adrian's voice called.

"Hey..." She replied looked over at him.

Adrian pulled himself up to sit down next to her. He could see the clear tears in the corners of her dark eyes. He had the entire show to think about what she had said earlier. After watching her pour her heart out into a match that ended in a such a horrible way, he realized that she was someone he would like to take a chance with. "I wonder if they will ever give me a chance again?" She asked quietly.

"They'd be stupid not to. The people love you and you are way more talented than Nikki is."

She leaned her head against his shoulder. Adrian kissed her forehead, savoring the feeling of her against him. They didn't need to exchange much words. Their actions spook for themselves. Paige knew Adrian would be there for her when she needed him to be. Despite his past feelings for Aria, he did care about her. That was all she could ask for in that moment. "Thank you..." She whispered.

"You're welcome..."

Aria made her way toward Roman's locker-room when Randy stepped out from an adjacent hallway. She stopped dead in her tracks not knowing what to do. They haven't spoke since she talked to him about her decision. Though, their roles onscreen were now aligned it didn't make her feel any less guilty. "Randy..." She whispered.

"Aria..."

He moved to continue on down the hall; but Aria wasn't going to let that happen. She took hold of his wrist. His eyes looked down at her delicate hand touching his skin. The woman was really making it difficult for him to just walk away and forget all about his feeling for her. Especially now that they were paired onscreen. He had felt her lips against his in front of millions of people. "Is this how it's going to be now?" She asked trying hard not to cry in front of him.

"Give me some time, Aria. I'm not going to promise that everything will be okay; but I will promise that I will protect you when it comes to Seth."

"Okay..."

It was hard for her to accept the reality of him not being around anymore; but if that was what he wanted, then she couldn't force him to stick around. He walked away without another word. No matter how upset he was with her, the thought of Seth harming her still made him sick. He could at least protect her from him, even if he wasn't able to love her like he wanted to.

Aria stood frozen in her place, unable to move. Roman placed a warm comforting hand on her shoulder. He had heard the entire conversation and knew that she was upset. He was actually surprised that Randy would push her away so easily. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah...I think so. I think maybe it's better this way. He's so hurt."

"I'd be the same way if the roles had been reversed."

She turned around to face him. His beautiful eyes softened upon her arms wrapping themselves around his upper body. He was never going to get enough of holding her, that much he already knew. Lifting her head up by a fingertip, he leaned in. Capturing her lips in a searing kiss. Her body ignite instantly. The man up against her had given her everything she ever asked for. He protected her, listened to her, gave her advice, and made her feel on fire every time he touched her. "So when is this official first date going to happen, Mister Reigns?" She asked smiling against his parted lips.

"Whenever you want it to be..." He replied caressing the skin of her cheek with his thumb.

"Maybe we are already passed the point of a first date."

"What do you mean?"

Aria clung onto his t-shirt. She could feel his warm breath on her bare shoulder and his long hair tickled her skin. He looked confused as to what she meant; but deep down he kind of felt the same way. They have already been through so much already that a first date didn't really matter. It was just the concept that sounded good.

"It's because I already know that I love you..." She answered.

"I think you already know that I love you to. I have for a while now."

She smiled at the point she realized that her life was now complete. Even though Randy was upset with her, she had a feeling that he would not be throwing their friendship away completely. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Paige and Adrian walking towards them. Their hands locked together. A happy laugh escaped her lips at the sight. "It's about time." She commented.

"Oh shut up..." Paige stated with a slight laugh.

Moving around Roman, she embraced her best friend tightly. It was her way of congratulating her. Adrian needed a woman like Paige in his life and vice versa. Now that she was no longer paired with Seth, she hoped that he would finally leave her alone; but if not, then she knew that all the people that surrounded her in that moment would protect her no matter what. They were precious. Just like family and nothing would ever tear that apart.


End file.
